


Sons of Beasts Part 2

by kittyface27



Series: Sons of Beasts [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adventure, Alive Ace, Alive Thatch, Alive Whitebeard, Betrayal, Brotherhood, Brothers, Dragon brothers, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Genocide, In Hiding, Long Journeys, On the run from the law, Some Humor, Whitebeard Pirates - Freeform, acelu brothers, celestial dragons get what they deserve, criminal characters, dragon - Freeform, half human character, multiple parts, takes place in the New World mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2020-11-22 08:09:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 83,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20870984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27





	1. The Journey Starts

**Hello readers! If you have come from Sons of Beasts, then welcome to part 2. If you haven't, I suggest you read that first. It's not too long. This part, parts 2-4 are quite dark, though there is an abundance of fluff between Ace and Luffy. This one will be rated M for genocide and casual murder. Though I don't think anyone will be upset with ** ** _who _ ** **is killed.**

**Some helpful information: Luffy is around Toothless's size now, as quite some time has passed since the end of the first part. This part will have 22 chapters, I think. More detail will go into how Ace and Luffy's unique bodies work or have in common with each other. There is not much mention of things that happened in part 1, but it's still necessary for everything to make sense. When I wrote a part, I hadn't seen the Reverie arc so Mary Geious isn't described the best. Anyways, please enjoy!**

* * *

Ace and Luffy stood at the cliff they'd buried Sabo at. They were finally going to depart, two years later than planned, since Luffy had not been big enough or strong enough to carry his brother long distances.

"We're off Sabo. We'll make you proud, being reckless or not. Miss you little bro," Ace said, smiling at Sabo's grave. "Promise we'll survive. We do miss you, but we don't want to see you again just yet."

_Bye, Sabo. Love you, _Luffy said, though not crying. Their hearts, though still scarred, had healed over, and they could think and talk about Sabo with smiles, not tears. Ace sighed, looking to Luffy beside him. Luffy was now the size of a large horse, with wingspans larger than Ace had thought they'd be. He had grown a lot in the extra two years. Now Ace was nineteen and Luffy was thirteen.

The wings were twelve feet from each side, twenty seven feet from tip to tip. Ace strapped the large backpack to his back, carrying provisions, money and some spare clothes with basic first aid. Ace climbed onto the spot between Luffy's neck and his shoulder blades where the wings started. He now looked like a true, fabled dragon. The pointed snout, slightly slanted eyes, longer and sharper canines, the tail had grown little spikes, and the frills on his neck had grown longer.

But, no matter how big Luffy got, he would always be Ace's baby brother. There was a rope tied around Luffy's thick neck so Ace could hold on. Ace looked down on the map they had strapped to the back of Luffy's neck so it didn't fly away, with the compass stuck to the neck as well. None of this hurt the dragon.

"Alright, let's go," Ace said, not able to help sounding excited. Luffy jumped off the cliff and spread his wide wings, leading them away from their home island, which held such great, and such sad memories.

The Red Line, the place they were headed first, was a long way away, and the brothers would no doubt need places to stop and sleep. Ace would not push Luffy to keep flying if he was too tired. The dragon was not Ace's _pet. _He was his brother, and would respect him like he should and deserved to be. They were equals.

Luffy flew at high speeds, making Ace grateful he had his waist tied to the rope around Luffy's neck. The wind made the the sturdy string holding his unique hat slap tightly against his throat. But, he had made the string keeping it together around his neck sturdy with thick mud that was dried and made into a sort of glue.

They day slowly passed, not crossing any islands yet. Luffy was able to fly through much of the night until they came across the first island, Yotsuba Island. On the map, it showed a town on the coast had a marine base on it, and though they weren't criminals _yet_, they didn't want to deal was potential curious marines.

So they flew around the coast and came across a little town just about the same size as Shell Town, the one with the marine base. The stores were all closed as it was in the middle of the night, so Luffy landed in a clearing deep in the forest, and Ace untied himself, and they both went to sleep. There would be no threat to them, even in their sleep. East Blue was the weakest sea, despite multiple powerhouses coming from it.

When morning came, Ace was first to wake up, which didn't surprise him. Luffy had been the one doing the flying, and though he said it didn't tire him, it was clear it did. While he was good at it and able to fly long distances, it was still tiring, and more so with Ace on his back. But he could do it. They both knew that.

When Luffy woke up, he was irritated that he had to stay in the forest because people would panic if they saw him. They might even call the marines over. Luffy knew that was the right thing to do, though he didn't like it.

_Can you get me something tasty? I'm sooo hungry, _Luffy said, laying back down with his arms folded underneath him like a cat.

"Sure, what do you want?" Ace asked, "We have a lot of money right now." Luffy thought for a moment.

_Honey. Lots of honey! _The dragon cheered. They'd found honey on multiple occasions, and Ace, being made of fire, could just scoop out the honey without being stung. But, they didn't find many, so finding the delicious food was a delicacy they both enjoyed. Ace grinned.

"You got it. See you in a bit. I'm gonna get us a shit ton of meat and some produce," Ace explained. '_Kay._

The little town was much different than the city and village on Dawn Island. Ace wondered what kind of things he'd see on their adventures. The town wasn't sparkling clean, or completely white. Not beautiful and expensive, with no dirt or anything disgusting. The streets were dirt trails, and the buildings were plain looking and simple in their shapes.

The little restaurants had stands outside and under the eaves, giving out some samples. Ace didn't take any, for he'd feel bad Luffy wouldn't. He asked for directions to the nearest market he could get food in bulk. The man asked if he was a traveler, and Ace, being the polite man he was, told the vendor he was on an adventure, and thanked him for his direction.

Thank goodness Magra had taught him manners, the only bandit who had them. The market was bigger than the other stores, and Ace got bags of different foods, getting multiple jars of honey. Ace thought the woman who owned the place and helped him find what he needed thought he was good looking; it was a bit embarrassing being ogled at. After all, he wasn't wearing a shirt and had some very defined muscles.

Being made of fire made him unable to get too hot or too cold, so wearing a shirt was pointless in his opinion.

Next, Ace went to go buy some meat and fish, holding multiple sacks of food and meat. Luffy would be able to make an ice lining around the thick bag, keeping the food in good condition, as well as the bag that would be tied around the base of his tail to keep balance instead of holding it on one leg.

When he got back to Luffy, he was still relaxing, his eyes closed. Nothing eventful happened where Ace was. Luffy woke up to the smell of food, and stood up to trot over to his brother, who sat down and laid all the food out in front of them.

Ace immediately cooked the meat, handing most of it to Luffy. He needed the food more than Ace did. Luffy was also given most of the produce, while Ace got the bread and boxed goods. He'd never had some of the food he'd chosen, and was excited to try it. They'd get to have food other than just meat!

Luffy was satisfied, and only tasted one cracker of each box. He was ecstatic about the honey, and Ace pour a whole jar of it into his mouth. Once they were both satisfied, Ace packed the rest of the non-perishables in the sack. Since Luffy had eaten almost all of the meat, he didn't need to refrigerate anything in the bag, which was thankfully pretty light.

They flew off again.

-x-

The brothers had come across a few islands, and all of them were quite boring. The first they came across after their first stop had a _stipid _name. Organ Island? But they stopped there for some food, though not as much as the last island. Though they had quite a bit of money, they'd need those hundreds of millions of berris for other things. Namely, pirate stuff once they started on that journey.

The next island was named after a lizard, but they just passed that one. Both were sad when they couldn't land on a floating restaurant. They would terrify the workers, or would attract the Marines that were on the Marine ship docked there. Ace wondered how busy the place was. At the sight of people eating out on a deck, Luffy's stomach rumbled and he said, _Can't we stop there for a little bit? I'm hungry!_

"I know, Luffy. I'm hungry, too, but we can't attract attention yet. We don't want people to know who we are after we destroy the place where the Celestial Dragons live. And we still need information about that. We have to find someone who wouldn't like them, so we're going to wait until we see the first pirate ship once we cross over the Red Line. Maybe they'll give us some food is we 'ask'," Ace said.

Luffy knew he said it like that for no one could hurt them. Ace was invincible to everything he'd been attacked with or experienced so far, and Luffy's body now unconsciously and automatically protected any part of him in danger with his hardened ice.

If someone shot him, the place that bullet would land was automatically protected by the ice to stop it. Ace thought it was the most amazing part of all of his ice powers.

They stopped at a place right before the Red Line, called Loguetown. It had a lot of food and provisions since it was very close to the Red Line. It had taken weeks to get to this town. Many of those nights and days were with little food, since there weren't many big sea creatures outside of the Grand Line to catch, and there were stretches of time where neither slept.

When they did reach an island, they stayed there for a couple days, resting and relaxing. Ace would massage Luffy's stiff and sore wings, feeling bad for him. Luffy was tired of flying long distances at a time, but knew he'd have to get used to it. What kind of dragon can't fly long distances?

Luffy stopped at the edge of town, and hid behind the side of a building while Ace quickly left to buy some food. Luffy was tired, and took a nap, putting up an ice barrier so no one would see him directly. Some might be interested in the sudden wall, but he made it high enough so no one could climb over.

He had sad dreams. Dreams of Sabo on their journey together. How he'd navigate the ship, since Ace and Luffy would no doubt get lost on a ship by themselves. How he'd write books about their adventures, and finally be free of his past. Would be so happy, living out his dream with his treasured brothers. They had been so close to freedom. And then that damn Celestial Dragon ruined it. He'd pay. They all would.

Luffy woke up when Ace came back, melting a doorway for himself through the ice, gently waking the dragon. He'd gotten a good half-hour of sleep. He wished he could get more. He kept having to motivate himself, and Ace motivate him as well, to push through the tiredness and hunger so they could finally avenge Sabo's cruel murder.

-x-

Passing the Red Line could be described as a nightmare. It was freezing at the top, soaking wet, and had high winds. Luffy had trouble staying even and flying over it. The map was absolutely ruined, but it was a good thing they didn't need it anymore. Neither brother could see clearly, and had no idea when they were reaching the top of the high mountain.

It was loud and Ace couldn't hear Luffy and Luffy couldn't hear Ace. that's why the ability to talk to each other without speaking was so helpful. _You okay?_

_Y-Yeah! It's hard to stay even from the wind._

_I think we're almost to the top,_ Ace said, rubbing strong circles on Luffy's head, relaxing him slightly. _Once we're over, we can take a break somewhere and then look for a pirate ship. _Luffy nodded.

They both heard some sort of wailing once they finally dipped down the other side. Once they were out of the clouds, the brothers could see a _massive _whale. It was huge! And it was banging its head against the rock wall. Luffy landed next to its head, and Ace got up and walked a few feet away, sitting down on the rocks, resting his back against the wall. Luffy just looked at the whale curiously, and walked closer, sniffing it as if stared at him as well with one big eye. He cocked his head, having never seen a creature this big. Luffy was dwarfed by it.

It wailed at him, so Luffy wailed back. Ace watched as the two seemed to have a contest, with Luffy chuffing laughter. He sat down next to it, looking up at its scars. Poor whale. Why was it doing that? Luffy flew up and landed gently on the whale's head, making sure not to step on any scar or recent cut.

It was horrible. There were so many. Luffy wished he could talk to it and ask _why _it was doing this to itself. The whale moaned, not liking Luffy being where it couldn't see him. Luffy flew back down and landed next to its head again, but this time rolled onto his back and stared at it upside down.

The whale followed, though it couldn't stay like that long, and went back to being right side up. That's when they heard the sound of hinges of a door being opened and curse words coming from the top of the head. The whale suddenly lowered itself so whoever was on top of him could get down.

"Damn Laboon! Knocking me into the acid!" the man groaned, covered in some sort of liquid that smelled horrible to the dragon. When the man caught sight of Ace and Luffy he did a double take, but then seemed to accept that there was a dragon there. It surprised Ace. "Seeing new things in the Grand Line isn't so rare," he muttered and walked up to Ace. "What are you doing here kid?" he asked, though not angrily. He sounded cranky, but not hostile.

"We're exhausted from crossing over the Red Line. We both need a break," Ace said, yawning. He nor Luffy felt any hostility from this man. Luffy went back to playing with Laboon, while Ace began to nap. The old man looked at them strangely, but sat down at his relaxing table, watching them.

Laboon seemed to like this dragon, as they played together. The dragon even got Laboon to play some sort of slow tag. The dragon slowly flew around while Laboon chased it in the water. Crocus smiled at it. Laboon had never played with any other animal like this. Of course, Laboon was huge, and up against a wall, so there weren't many creatures that came this way. He looked to the other, seeing the young man sleeping away, snoring slightly with his orange cowboy hat resting over his eyes.

What an interesting duo.

Eventually, the dragon got tired, and laid down next to Laboon, blinking heavy lidded eyes. Then, the creature fell to sleep easily, slightly curled up. Laboon looked at it, and didn't bang his head against the wall. He just swam backwards a bit and waited out in the water for the dragon to wake up.

Crocus noticed the small bag that the young man, not any older than his late teens, next to him and also tied to his belt loop. Was that all he had? One a journey to the Grand Line? What a foolish kid. He also didn't have a log pose on his wrist, which made Crocus believe he didn't know much about how things worked in Paradise. He should have bought one at Loguetown.

It was a couple hours of Crocus patiently waiting and reading that the man woke up, looking over to see the dragon still sleeping. Ace looked to Crocus, and his stomach rumbled loudly, seeing the food the man had out.

"You hungry, kid?" the man asked. Ace nodded and hurried over. Luffy heard the word hungry in his sleep and woke up, running over to stand with Ace. "Very hungry," Ace said.

"Help yourself. What's your name?" Ace stuffed his face with the food, forgetting his manners in the presence of food he'd been starving for.

"I'm Ace, this is Luffy," Ace said after swallowing. He turned to Luffy and asked what he wanted from the table, since it was a small table and Luffy would probably knock things off if he tried to pick it up with his teeth.

_The purple fish and green thing._

Ace reached for what Luffy had asked for, letting Luffy eat it from his hand as Ace continued to stuff his face. Crocus looked at him in surprise. "You can speak to him?" he asked in curiosity. "And my name is Crocus," the man added.

"Yeah, we talk in our heads," Ace said, having a feeling that it was safe to tell this man. "He's my brother, so it's natural," Ace explained simply.

"Fascinating. Where did you come from?" Crocus asked.

"East Blue, Dawn Island. Flew here from there. Took a couple weeks," Ace said, and too soon he and Luffy had eaten all the food. "Thank you, sir." Ace then bowed his head in thanks. Luffy looked to Ace and did the same thing.

"Anyone Laboon befriends is a good person - or animal - in my book. So, where are you heading?" Ace's expression turned serious.

"I have to ask you a question before I tell you," the teen said with a straight face. Luffy stared at Crocus as well, knowing what Ace would ask. Crocus nodded, wondering what the question was. "What do you think of the Celestial Dragons?"

The old man scowled. "Why are you bringing those bastards up?" Ace smiled, looking satisfied.

"Sorry, couldn't reveal our plan if you were someone to alert them. We're on our way to kill all of them. They killed someone very important to us, and we can't continue living if we don't avenge him," Ace explained to a shocked Crocus. "I know what you're gonna say: it's impossible, but we can do it. First of all, Luffy's a damn dragon, and I have the fire devil fruit."

Crocus looked at them with a calculating look. "You know, it's crazy, but I get a feeling you two could do it." He grinned. "I look forward to hearing about your success in the paper." Ace smiled back.

"Thank you. You wouldn't by any chance have a compass, would you?" Ace questioned as he pulled theirs out of his pocket.

_Whoa, what's wrong with it? _Luffy asked in alarm. It was spinning in circles, the glass cracked as well. It was useless now.

"I don't know," Ace replied, Crocus assuming he was speaking to the dragon.

"Do you have any clue about how the Grand Line works," Crocus asked in slight disbelief.

"Well, we know nothing makes sense here. Shouldn't be surprised, really, that the compass doesn't work. Do you know where we can buy one for this sea?" Ace asked pleasantly.

"Well, you'd need a compass to get to where you can buy one." when Ace frowned, Crocus gave a smile, and pulled a strange looking compass that had a wrist strap on it. "I'll give you this in thanks for giving Laboon a good time. It points to the next island. But, you have to go on islands in a chain, and each one will take time to set to another.

"You have a long way ahead of yourselves if your headed to the Celestial Dragons," Crocus said in a serious voice. Ace just shrugged.

"As long as we get there," he replied. Luffy nodded his head. He was glad they had to stop at islands periodically. That means he didn't have to fly all the way there and they could have breaks.

_This means I get breaks, Ace! No more flying non-stop, _Luffy said happily.

Ace turned to him. "Yeah, I'm happy about that, too," he said with a grin. "Thank you, Crocus. You're really helping us out, here. And the food was great and I'm glad Luffy got someone to play with."

Luffy nodded his head, giving a smile. "You're very welcome. I hope your mission works out." He handed Ace the compass and Ace strapped it around his wrist. "Better be careful with that. Not having a log pose on the Grand Line is suicide."

"Good to know. Do you mind if we stay here for tonight? It's getting darker out," Ace said politely.

"Go ahead. I don't own the Red Line. Sleep where you want."

"Thank you."

* * *

**A slower start, but things will get heated soon.**

* * *

**Songs listened to:**

**Get Up! by All Good Things,**

**Hurricane 2.0 by 30 Seconds to Mars,**

**Impossible by Manafest**

All of these came from AMVs for One Piece that I liked.


	2. Pledge Fulfilled

**SarahPrincess: Good, I'm glad!**

**Maria: Our babies are all grown up. Especially after this chapter. **

#### Júlia: <3

* * *

**We get to meet some more people in this chapter. Things move quite quickly. I'm not too good with action scenes, so they usually go by pretty fast. This is the chapter that the story is rated M for. Not too graphic, but it is violent. So, be warned. Look forward to finally meeting the Whitebeards next chapter! Enjoy~**

* * *

The next morning, both fully rested, Ace and Luffy said goodbye the Crocus and Laboon. They could all tell Laboon was saddened his friend was leaving, but at least he had a fun time while it lasted.

Ace gave Crocus one last thank you, and he and Luffy flew off. Luffy flew at a more leisurely pace, which was a nice change from flying at full speed. As long as they got there, taking their time wasn't such a bad idea.

They still kept a look out for any pirate ship, but came across a Marine ship, and had Luffy fly high enough that he'd look like a bird.

They came across the first pirate ship, but Luffy flew right past it. _Getting a bad feeling from that ship, _he explained, and Ace did not question it. He trusted Luffy's senses, and they flew on. The log pose was pointing in one direction, and they flew that way.

The brothers knew that weather was unexpected in this sea, so they would do their best to avoid any storms. It would be bad for them if they flew straight through a violent thunderstorm. It was many hours after the last pirate ship that they came across another.

"Make sure to not be threatening. I won't be either. No attacking, and if they restrain us, go along with it. We'll break out anyways if we need to. Ready?" Ace asked, and Luffy nodded diving to an empty part and landing lightly.

Ace told Luffy to wait there for a little bit while he tries to find the captain and be non-threatening and friendly. Only after he gets some friendliness will Ace show them the intimidating but kind dragon. Luffy agreed and laid down at the back of the ship, hoping no one came over. They were trespassing on a pirate's ship, no matter what vibes Luffy got from it.

Ace confidently strode down the steps and where men were relaxing and doing some work on the ship. "Ah, hello! Can I talk to your captain?" Ace called friendly, loud enough for everyone to hear. They just stared at the smiling teenager, who was waving with one hand. They drew weapons. "There's no need to do that. I won't do anything. See, I don't even have any weapons!" Ace pointed out. "I just want to ask some questions."

He was commanded to put his hands up and sit down. There was a commotion as pirates went inside to get the captain and the first mate. Ace did as they said and sat down cross legged with a friendly and light smile. He was glad no one had found Luffy yet.

_Luffy, if you hear anyone coming close to you, make an ice barrier around yourself._

_Okay._

The captain came striding out, with bright red hair and a straw hat, three scars across his left eye. "Hello, are you the captain?" Ace questioned, his hands still up.

"Yeah. Who're you? How'd you get here?" the captain asked, before revealing his name.

"Hi, Shanks. My name is Ace and I want to ask you some harmless questions," Ace replied. Shanks looked at him suspiciously. "If you want to cuff me, that's fine." This seemed to buy the captain a bit and he sat down across from the young man, noticing how young he looked.

"And what are these questions?" Shanks asked, sounding a bit curious. He had noticed that Ace hadn't told the captain how he'd gotten on their ship.

"Firstly, what do you think of the Celestial Dragons?" Ace asked, not making his voice so serious as it had been with Crocus. Ace didnt really know how pirates acted, real ones, not those stupid pirates under Bluejam.

"They're scumbags that don't deserve to live," Shanks said immediately. Ace beamed.

"Great! Okay, now, I want to know where they live. What kind of people are they. What they do as a living. How many are there. What kinds of weapons they use," Ace listed, slowly lowering his hands to his lap.

"And why do you want to know these questions?" Shanks asked, now more curious than suspicious. This kid didn't seem hostile in anyway, despite Shanks knowing there was something different about him and how he felt to the captain's haki.

"I'm going to go kill every single one of them," Ace said simply. Those listening in on the ship (erveyone) were silent for a moment. One scoffed, but the others stayed quiet. Shanks looked at him in a calculating way. He asked why. "One of them killed my brother for no reason when he was a child. I won't be able to live a full life until I avenge his death."

"Hmm. Well, I wish you luck. I'll answer your questions. _After _you bring your companion out here. I know there's another one," Shanks said, though in a cheery voice.

"Well, about that. He might scare everyone," Ace said slowly. The pirates glared at him.

"We're pirates, Ace. We don't scare easily," Shanks said with a sly grin. Ace smiled back.

"Alright." _Luffy, come to me. Don't look scary, don't make eye contact._

_O-okay. _The dragon sounded frightened. Shanks looked at him in slight impatience. "Are you going to go get him?"

"No, he's coming over," Ace said conversationally. Then pirates began to scream. Ace sighed. "I did warn you." Shanks glared, wondering what the hell Ace's friend was doing to scare the seasoned pirates. Then his eyes grew impossibly wide as a black dragon walked into view and stopped next to Ace. "You should lie down, Luffy," Ace said quietly. He did as his brother said, and became as least threatening as he could.

"Holy shit," Shanks said, but was unafraid. He was _amazed. _"You have a damn, live dragon?!" Ace chuckled, and grinned. "Yup. He's my brother," the teen said in a chipper voice.

"C-Can I touch you?" Shanks asked Luffy excitedly, like a child. Ace looked to Luffy. _N- not yet. I'm not ready._

"Not yet. He's not ready. Doesn't know you enough," Ace said. Shanks looked at him.

"Can you speak with him?" Ace nodded. Shanks "wow!"ed, and then began to answer all of Ace's questions. The more he heard of the Celestial Dragons, the more he wanted to murder them, Luffy thinking the same thing. The tone of voice that the captain spoke in changed completely as he described everything he knew of the evil people.

Ace grew angrier at his words, letting off some heat. _Ace, calm down. Don't act scary,_ Luffy said, calming his brother instantly.

Once Shanks was done explaining, he called for someone to bring food and booze. "Do you drink Ace?" shanks asked. Ace said he'd nerve really tried. "Well, you're going to try now!" then he laughed loudly and excitedly. "And bring some meat for the dragon!"

Some of his men went running inside to fulfill the captain's orders. "His name is Luffy. Can he touch you yet, Luffy?" Luffy reluctantly nodded, sure that this man wouldn't hurt them. Shanks scooched over and sat right in front of Luffy. He hesitantly reached his hand forward to gently touch his smooth but strong black skin. His eyes were a beautiful green.

"How old are you?" Shanks asked.

"Luffy is thirteen. We think he's still going to grow more," Ace said. Shanks watched him in amazement, even though Luffy wasn't really doing anything interesting other than existing.

"Can he do anything? Have any powers? Can I see?!" Ace chuckled. This captain sure was an excitable man. Ace looked to Luffy, who he could tell was also amused. He nodded his head, truly thinking this man was a good one, and would not hurt either of them.

Luffy nodded his large head and froze the floor below him, making the wood become a slippery, white color. Some nearby pirates fell on their butts, causing Shanks to burst out into laughter. Luffy sucked the ice back, and then blew some freezing sleet onto Shank's face. He sputtered and wiped all of it off. The crew laughed around them. Luffy chuffed out laughter.

He wasn't angry or offended that Luffy froze his face. He just laughed, finally getting his alcohol and taking a big swig. "What about you, Ace? Do you have any powers, if you are his brother?" He didn't pry as how their relationship was, which Ace was glad of, though he could tell the man was painfully curious.

"Yeah, but don't panic," Ace said in light warning, and lit himself on fire. His flame headed towards Shanks and touched his leg. But it didn't burn him or his clothes. He had attempted to get away from the flames, but they were too quick, and Shanks stopped, amazed that he could barely feel the flames, and the deck wasn't burning. The flames were quickly sucked back into his hands.

"WOW!" Shanks screamed, startling both brothers. A huge stack of grilled meat was put in front of Luffy, while Ace was handed a mug of some type of alcohol. He hesitantly took a sip, and spit it out, though thankfully not on Shanks.

"That's disgusting!" Ace said, grabbing a piece of meat from Luffy's plate to get the taste off. The crew laughed, feeling at ease with this young man now. Even though he could probably burn the ship to nothing, he didn't seem like the type to do so.

"Ah, you'll get used to it if you drink some more," Shanks assured, but Ace put the mug down with a polite, "No thank you."

Luffy scarfed down the cooked meat, even chomping on the bones until there was nothing left on his plate. He licked his lips, glad he got to eat some more. And Ace got some, too.

They stayed for a few more hours, Shanks describing the Grand Line for them, as he got more and more intoxicated with mug after mug of booze. His face turned red and he hiccuped. His first mate stopped getting him any more sake, to which the grown man pouted. Ace chuckled, while Luffy napped next to him.

When Ace finally decided it was time for them to go, he thanked Shanks for the information and relaxation, along with the food. Shanks waved them off, calling that he'd like to see them again sometime, and he couldn't wait to hear about their success, just like Crocus had.

-x-

Having to wait for the log pose to set was quite tedious. The breaks were nice to an extent, but having to wait for a week or longer just to fly a few hours to the next island was irritating. But at least, they were able to catch food on the way with Luffy picking up some massive fish that Ace burned, leaning to the side to reach Luffy's feet gripping the meat.

With Luffy having front arms and fingers, eating in mid flight was doable and convenient. So they spent less money on food, though they did treat themselves every other island or so. Ace would buy sweets or fruits for them.

With Luffy able to make ice barriers, the dragon wasn't seen, even once, by anyone, which was good. They had to go around multiple sudden storms. They would just pop up out of nowhere. There was also the problem of sea kings. If Luffy got too close to the water, they'd leap out of the sea to try and eat them. Those ones usually end up dead, floating on the water, and then cooked to eat as snacks. They tasted good.

They had stopped on one other pirate ship, asking how far away the Red Line was from where they were. This crew was terrified of Luffy, so they answered immediately. Three weeks away by sailing, and two islands. They were told to avoid going north, over the marine bases, even though they weren't criminals. Yet.

Ace thanked them, and they flew off to follow the compass' needle. As the two flew to the next island, they reaffirmed their full plan of when they go up there to Mary Geoise, the name of their city that Shanks told them. They'd made the plan long ago, but it had been choppy as they were missing information.

They were going to let the slaves go as best as they could, and kill every single Celestial Dragon. Even the children, though they wouldn't burn those ones. Luffy would suffocate them in blocks of ice. The two knew they were just going to grow up to be more evil nobles. If they killed everyone, there was no more bloodline, and no more Celestial Dragons could be made. Plus, the city will be burned to the ground. Destroyed beyond belief, with no chance of rebuilding any of it, for the ground would be scorched and covered with ash.

Two weeks of flying and two weeks of waiting for log poses to set, the two landed at a place called Sabaody Archipelago. There were no nobles or Celestial Dragons there that day, which was good. They'd have to kill them here, and that would mess with their plan.

They stopped for food. _Tons of food. _Ace threatened any vendors selling food with fire, getting what he could to fill up both of the brother's bellies for their attack. Luffy stayed out of view, resting on the bubbles on the trees, which surprisingly didn't pop under him.

As he waited for Ace, he felt peace. Not even nervous about going up. They were finally going to avenge Sabo. Nine years later. He and Ace were ready to do this. They were sure their plan would succeed, and once reinforcements came but couldn't get in, they were going to fly over the Red Line and into the New World to get away for awhile. Going straight back the way they came would probably be bad, since the marine forces would still be in Paradise by the time the brothers escaped into the harsh and unpredictable sea. After awhile, they'd end up doubling back.

Since it'd be night when they attacked, and everything and everybody would be dead, there would be no wanted posted with any name or photo.

After Ace brought back the feast, both ate to their hearts' content. When they were finished, they waited on the docks for a moment, looking up at the place they'd already passed, just on the opposite side of the world. "I love you, Luffy. We can do this. For Sabo, and everyone they have ever hurt."

_I love you, too._

-x-

The moment night fell, and the stars came out, Ace and Luffy flew to the outskirts of the sparkling city. It reminded them of high town, only more pompous and expensive looking. They both took a deep breath.

"Let's do this."

Luffy closed his eyes and formed the ice prison, encircling the whole city. It grew higher and higher, thicker and thicker until it was a complete box around them. They could still see, due to outside lights. It was just the moon light was gone.

They heard some quiet confusion about it, coming from the few people outside. Ace unleashed the fire, and it spread around the city, hugging Luffy's wall, but not melting it. First, they would take care of the bigwigs. The ones who control the world, and allow the World Nobles to be so horrible with their slaves.

The brothers walked to the largest building, the palace, and Luffy slammed the large, locked door open, the wooden doors flying off their hinges, causing a very loud noise. They walked down the beautiful hallways, meeting the first residents, coming out of the rooms or running down the hall. Men with guns pointed at them. But Ace was immune to bullets, and Luffy had covered himself in the hard ice.

"Stop right there!" a man in a black uniform said. Luffy shot a spike in through him from the ground. They could both hear those already in the hall screaming, some running away, while others looked at them as if they were insulting them. Ace set fire to the hallways, letting it spread and lick the walls. Screams were heard. People trapped in their rooms, unable to get out. Ace and Luffy ignored those.

Luffy branched off, like he was supposed to, and ran down the halls, searching for sweat and dirt and waste. Trying to find where the slaves were kept. They weren't hard to find, since the whole room reeked. He burst open the locked door, to reveal cages and cages of humans and fishmen, smashed together in tight spaces.

They screamed at the sight of Luffy, and the smell of smoke. Luffy wouldn't let these people burn, so he sealed the door with ice and ripped out the cage doors. They all had bomb collars on, so he froze each one and broke it off. It was time consuming because there were so many of them, but he did it as quickly as he could.

The slaves were crying out of fear and relief. They trusted this creature, and when Luffy burst through walls, he formed a hallway of ice as he went. The escape for the slaves. They followed, running as fast as they could, shouting thank yous and sobs for Luffy.

Some fishmen kept asking to be able to help them, but Luffy just shook his head and pushed them forward. This was his and Ace's revenge. They didn't want help. But the fishmen told the dragon they were indebted to them, and if they ever needed help, they would come to help.

He ran through the city, still leading the slaves, and finally melted a part of the wall to the outside the city. They ran past him, getting as far as they could. Luffy branched off and searched for more slaves, finding them quickly. When he found them, Luffy didn't hesitate to stab or freeze their masters.

He destroyed collar after collar, going house to house, and creating more passages of ice, letting out of the wall, too. He made sure to close the pathways afterwards so reinforcements couldn't get through open doorways.

When he found no more slaves, and no more masters to take care of in their houses, he ran after the sounds of humans screaming and shouting, and followed them, freezing large crowds and impaling individuals.

When he came across children, they insulted him, clearly not taught of self-preservation from their wicked parents, he froze them in ice. It had been agreed to not kill them painfully. Their parents, however, were open game for Luffy.

Ace walked through the halls leisurely, working himself up and up, though the building was crumbling beneath and above him as his flames destroyed everyone and everything. The smoke didn't hurt him in any way. Many guards came to shoot him, but it was to no avail, and they were burned, too.

They tried shooting him with sea-stone bullets, but, since Ace wasn't a devil fruit user, he was unharmed. He didn't find the killing fun, or enjoyable, but _satisfying._ How many people was he avenging? How many had been killed by these disgusting men and women, their choices or individual actions? He spared _no one_, and there were no children in this palace. Luffy would take care of those outside. The flames from the building had spread to the outside, where they burned small buildings and homes.

Smoke was trapped inside the dome of ice, but he knew Luffy could breathe fine through it, and Ace was immune as well.

When he finally reached the top floor, he came across a room with many people in it. Despite it being made of thick metal, he burned it open. They were important figures, on transponder snails calling for help.

"There will be no help for you. No one will come for you until your precious city is burned to ashes. Repent as best as you monsters can while I burn you to ashes," and the snails shriveled up from the heat, as Ace turned the panic room into an inferno. The flames were so hot they burned right through the World Nobles, and they didn't even have time to scream. Ace cursed at it, wishing he could have taken more time.

He burned the ceiling, and jumped out the windows as the castle collapsed. When he got outside, he saw shards and spikes of ice around the city, buildings crumbling and destroyed from the massive spikes. People frozen in bulk. There were no more screams, as Luffy and Ace had taken care of all of them, or the smoke had.

It was hard to see in some parts, since the fires had burned so hot. He walked around, burning things down, melting the ice and the bodies they'd impaled or surrounded. By the time Ace found Luffy, he had raised most of the buildings to the ground.

_I got all the slaves out. I can hear people screaming on the other side, trying to get in. But they can't. Some strong guys are out there. Not on all sides, just working on one spot to get in. Did we get everyone? _Luffy asked, voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, everyone is gone, and there's nothing left," Ace replied, looking at what he'd done. It was just a field of ash now. There wasn't even any debris left. "There, Sabo. And everyone the World Nobles had ever killed, or tortured, or ruined their lives. We've avenged you," Ace said quietly. "Let's go."

'_Kay. _Ace got onto Luffy's back and they flew to the upper corner of one side, and flew out at light's speed, unseen by anybody since Luffy was as black as the night sky. Smoke billowed out of the hole that was made, and Luffy let the walls of ice melt, revealing what was left of their precious rulers.

They knew the world would be in uproar, and they knew they were selfish, but at least there were no more Celestial Dragons. No more evil people that found torture fun. Who killed people for sport. Ace and Luffy may have just killed hundreds of people, but they felt no joy in doing it. They didn't do it for fun. That was the difference between the World Nobles and the brothers, though they all killed.

* * *

**To be continued!**


	3. The Next Chapter In Life

**Doing my best to finish up other fanfictions but it's been hard lately due to some depression going on. I did write over 20 pages in the library at school this week for one of my stories, lol. Anyways, hope you're exited to meet the Whitebeards in this chapter! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace and Luffy flew over the side of the Red Line and into the New World. It was still dark out, but the sky was lightening slightly. They were out of view by then, and both wished they could see the reactions of the marines, but it wasn't safe. He wondered what the newspaper would say. Would they get no named bounties? Surely Ace would, for he was heard over the snails. No one knew about Luffy, though, other than Shanks' crew, Crocus and Laboon, and the pirate ship they'd never gotten the name of.

The first thing Ace noticed was the compass on his wrist was not working right. But honestly, the two expected something like that to happen. Thank goodness they still had the large pouch of money.

The second thing they noticed was that there were storms popping up instantly, and water bursting out of the sea in what looked like water tornados. They searched for land, even though the had no compass, but were not finding anything. Well, they'd be going back to Paradise soon anyways. They just had to wait it out until things calmed down, however long that would take.

But what would they do now? What they'd been living for for nine years was done. So what now? They definitely couldn't form a crew just yet. They didn't want to risk anything like getting any new crewmates in trouble.

They flew for hours, unable to get anything out of tumultuous ocean, and they were finding no islands. Luffy was becoming exhausted, not that either were surprised since he'd just used his ice powers more than he ever had before. At least Ace hadn't been tired about it. But then again, he had probably used less flames than Luffy had ice.

Finally, when Luffy just couldn't fly anymore, they spotted a ship. It was a big one, too. It had no jolly roger on the sails, and Ace and Luffy weren't close enough to see the black flags clearly. Both could feel powerful people inside. It was nearing dinner time. Not dark yet, but they couldn't wait until it was dark. Luffy was about to crash into the ocean.

He landed as lightly as he could, and the dragon's stomach roared. They'd had no lunch or breakfast, not that they usually did. But they would have caught _something _from the water by then back in Paradise. So, it was either land on this ship, or die.

_Hide yourself in ice. I'm gonna go get us food. _And Luffy was out like a light once the dome was made. Ace was going to be reckless. He was feeling quite invincible right now. Like he could take anyone that came after him. And he could, but he was also extremely hungry, and sore, from what he didn't know.

He walked straight onto deck and to a door. Maybe, if he acted casual, no one would notice he was different. Though, the absence of clothing and orange hat may give him away. But he could tell there were hundreds of people on this ship. Surely, not everyone knew everyone else.

He followed the smell of food to a massive dining room, loaded with food. Everyone was in there already, laughing away. He peeked through the doorway, looking for the nearest table. It was close. It had plates of meat, vegetables, bread. It looked and smelled so delicious.

He would be fine! No one would notice him. So he confidently and casually strode right into the room and to the end of the nearest table. He didn't make any eye contact with those at the table and he stole the plates of meat and other foods, loading it into his arms, and sticking some rolls into his mouth. He then quickly left, feeling some, but not all, eyes on him. The moment he got out of the room, he went sprinting down the halls.

-x-

The minute an unfamiliar figure walked into the room, the Whitebeard Pirates commanders who were on the side of the table where they could see him froze. It was some kid, not wearing a shirt and donning a cowboy hat. He piled food into his arms, shoving bread into his mouth, and hurried out of the room.

The table was quiet for a moment. "Who the hell was that?" Izo asked in a startled voice. The first to react was Marco, who went sprinting after whoever was not supposed to be there. Other commanders followed quickly, while Whitebeard and the rest just looked shocked. Did someone who _isn't part of the crew _just come in and steal food in front of _everyone?! _What a reckless idiot. Whitebeard couldn't help but chuckle. Poor kid was going to learn that that was a mistake.

Marco saw the shirtless kid who stole food sprinting down the hall, trying to get out as fast as possible, and Marco had no idea how he got there or how he thought he was going to get away after exposing himself to _everyone_. He dropped food from his mouth, swearing colorfully before he made an umanly "eep!" sound when he realized someone was coming up on him.

"Oi! Wait!" the pursuer shouted. Then his eyes widened as he heard a nervous chuckle and then the word "shit" repeated over and over. Marco changed half way and flew down the hall, tackling the reckless teenager.

He turned him over, and saw the kid nervously smiling. "Ah, I was just trying to get some food," he said, clearly underestimating the trouble he had gotten himself into. He put his hands up in front of him in surrender.

"Who the hell are you, yoi?" Marco demanded.

"There's no need to get mad. I'm just hungry," the trespasser said. "I swear that was all I was gonna do."

"I asked you _who are you?_" the man said in a deadly voice.

"Ace. My name is Ace. What a waste! All the food is on the ground!" he complained. Marco was growing impatient, before he finally noticed there was something off about this kid. Like he wasn't a normal person. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, though.

"You _clearly _have no idea where you are or how much trouble you are in," Marco growled. "You are on the Whitebeard Pirates ship." The kid - Ace - blinked twice.

"Really? Crap!" he shouted nervously. "Listen, I was just here for some food. I was gonna leave! I didn't do anything bad! Well, not to you," and he chuckled nervously again.

"Get up," Marco growled, now surrounded by other commanders, looking angry and confused. Ace clumsily stood up and backed away a bit.

"There's no need to get violent," Ace warned, finally seeming to realize he'd made a mistake. Damn, he should have waited until everyone was asleep. But where would he have hidden his dragon brother? The halls in this place were abnormally large, but then again he'd never actually been inside a pirate's ship.

He couldn't call for Luffy. He was sleeping, and needed rest if they were going to make a break for it. "Where did you come from?" the cook, Thatch, asked in part confusion and part irritation with this easy going kid, though he had to say he was brave to just wander into a pirate's galley and steal some food while everyone was in there.

"Uh, the Red Line," Ace answered truthfully.

"You mean Fishman Island?" Izo asked in a cold voice. What was up with this idiot? Ace just blinked at him.

"Yup," he lied. Marco glared at him. "Tell the truth."

"I did. I came from the Red Line. I'm sure you'll hear about it in the paper soon!" Ace said, trying to appease these very angry and very powerful pirates. He was much too reckless. But really, there had been no other choice in the matter, because Luffy was about to crash into the ocean and probably both get eaten by a sea king.

"What? What did you do to be in the paper?" Haruta asked. Ace noticed none of them had weapons drawn. They were underestimating Ace, but he wasn't upset about it. He was glad. Yes, he was a teenager, much younger than these men, and he didn't look too threatening, but he was still very powerful. He didn't know how he would do against the one with the strange hair. He seemed to be the strongest.

"You won't believe me," Ace replied. Marco growled at him to tell the truth again. "I killed all the World Nobles and ran away," Ace hurriedly said. The others scoffed. "See, I told you you wouldn't believe me!"

"Get some cuffs for this moron, we're taking him in for questioning. Check if anyone else is on deck," Marco commanded. They all felt the sudden change in Ace. He was no longer smiling or being awkward. He was angry and cold. Then he erupted into flames, making all the others jump out of the way.

"Get sea-stone cuffs! He has a devil fruit!" Marco commanded, though he wasn't afraid. Ace turned and bolted out.

"Luffy! Wake up!" Ace screamed. "Run away!" But he was tackled to the ground quickly, the man on top of him ignoring and immune to his flames.

_Ace?! Ace, what's wrong?! _Luffy panicked.

"No, don't come!" Ace said as he heard thunderous steps. Then Luffy came into view and saw Ace being tackled by someone. _Ace!_

Marco looked at the dragon in shock. So, this was how Ace got onto the ship. And the dragon looked like it was injured or sick. But, Ace was still a trespasser, and so was this dragon. "Luffy, spike him!"

Luffy was scared, though. This man scared him, and he didn't want to anger him by attempting to kill him. So Luffy ran forward, and yanked Ace out from under Marco by Ace's shoulder, slammed Marco inside by a swish of his powerful tail, and made a block of ice in the doorway so no one could get out. They both heard commotion on the other side of they tried to get through the ice.

_Ace, I don't think I can fly still. I'm exhausted, _Luffy said in despair. Ace looked around. "Up there! Go up there!" He climbed onto his brother and Luffy flew up to the top of the mast, perching on it like a bird. He really wasn't as heavy as he looked, and the yardarm was strong. "Uh, you can't sleep up here, can you?"

_I- I can try. Do you think they'll get through the ice? _Luffy asked in worry. Ace tried to reassure them that they could sleep out here and then just melt the ice on their way away. Luffy was still scared, and didn't even have the chance to close his eyes and _attempt _to sleep even though they both knew it wouldn't work before the ice busted open. Ace yelped in surprise. "Aw, shit," he mumbled.

"We're screwed," Ace said with a sigh. Luffy whimpered. He grabbed Ace and flew down, running away onto the higher deck. It turned into multiple pirates chasing the dragon as he ran in circles around the deck, jumping over the ones who doubled back. The one that had tackled Ace flew in front of them, and Luffy ran right into him, though his body passed through and Marco grabbed Ace with his talons and then held him down with his hands.

"No, let me go, we weren't gonna even do anything!" Ace yelled as another commander came up from behind him and cuffed him again. Ace still squirmed under Marco, surprising those who were surrounding Ace again, now pointing guns at the scared dragon, who was shaking in fear, making the commanders feel slight pity for him.

"Stop moving!" Marco shouted. When Ace looked up to see many men holding various weapons, all pointed at his baby brother, he snapped the cuffs in half and lit himself on fire again, guarding Luffy.

"Don't you dare touch my brother," Ace growled. Before anyone could say anything, both brothers were entrapped in an ice dome. "This probably isn't gonna last too long. They already broke down the ice door," Ace told Luffy calmly. He was terrified, and it hurt to see his baby brother like this. He hugged him around the neck, trying to comfort him. Big tears of fear fell from Luffy's eyes.

_Are they gonna kill us? _Luffy whimpered.

"I don't know, but hey. If they _do _we get to see Sabo, right?" Ace said, trying to make light of their deaths. Luffy nodded, trying to feel the way Ace wanted him to. And at least he'd be with Ace, even if they didn't see Sabo. Sabo was probably in heaven. Luffy and Ace committed genocide. Would they go to hell...?

They heard loud footsteps and a booming laugh outside the ice, before it cracked and fell apart. Ace was in front of Luffy, who was still crying and shaking. They saw the massive man, wearing an amused grin.

"There's no need to cry, dragon. We won't kill you," the giant old man said. The commanders stared at both of the trespassers with empty expressions, and one of them was grinning. He had some strange haircut that Ace had never seen before.

Ace glared at him, challengingly. The man sat down, though he still towered over the brothers. "So, I'd like to hear more about your time on top of the Red Line," he said in amused interest. Like he wanted to hear the story but didn't think it would be true.

"Why? You won't believe me even if I do tell you," Ace snapped. A gun was pointed at Ace's head from a man in a... dress?

"Don't disrespect pops," he growled.

"Now, son, they're just scared. And they should be, based on how serious you all got," Whitebeard said with a chuckle. "Kid, you're brave and utterly stupid to think you can just come into our galley and steal food and can get away." But he didn't seem angry, and Thatch started busting up into laughter. Ace's face turned red.

"Luffy is tired and hungry, and I was going to get him food no matter if it was reckless! He's more important than my own life," Ace said darkly. With his words, the others all seemed to relax, and many sat down, waiting for Ace to speak, since it seemed the dragon couldn't. And upon further inspection of the dragon, he didn't look scary at all. His eyes were wide in fear, and he had no sort of horns or fangs sticking out. He didn't even have scales, just black and smooth skin.

"Someone bring the dragon some food," Whitebeard said, shocking the brothers. "I'd like to hear the story now. It sounds like an interesting one."

Ace sighed and finally told him about what they'd done and how they'd done it. The others didn't believe him at all, which Ace wasn't expecting them to. "If you don't believe me, then at least youll know by the fucking newspaper," Ace snapped.

"If your story is true, you do realize you've thrown the world into uproar?"

"Shanks and Crocus didn't seem to care. The Celestial Dragons killed our brother, and we're supposed to just take that lying down?" Ace asked in slight incredulousness. Luffy cautiously ate behind him.

_You can eat some, Ace. I know you're hungry, too._

"No, you keep it. You're the one who was flying for so long," Ace said kindly to his baby brother. The others looked surprised.

"You can speak with him?" Thatch asked. Ace just gave a sharp nod.

"Better question, do you know the Yonko Shanks?" Haruta asked. Ace nodded again.

"He told us what we needed to know to pull it off. He got drunk, though," Ace added quietly. Just from that the others knew Ace was telling the truth about meeting Shanks.

"And you did all of this for your murdered brother?" Thatch asked softly.

"We trained for nine years to be able to do this. There was no question we were going to avenge him," Ace said quietly. He didn't like talking about Sabo to these people.

"How old was he?" the same man asked.

"Ten." The commanders all looked saddened by that.

"We're sorry for your loss," Thatch replied.

After a short while of silence Whitebeard said, "I like you kid. Until your dragon is back to normal, you can stay." Ace took offense at this.

"He's not 'my dragon'. He's my brother, and his name is Luffy," Ace said firmly. Marco was sitting at the railing, and then stood up to walk to him.

"Biological?" Marco asked. Ace didn't reply, just looked at Marco with a challenging expression. "What are you, Ace? How did you break out of sea-stone cuffs while still having fire power?" he questioned, looking Ace right in the eye.

"That is none of your business," Ace said coldly, meeting Marco's stare.

"Marco, just chill. Even if he did the better of us, pops is here," Thatch told Marco. "No one can beat pops and especially not some random teenager." Then he turned to Ace. "How old are you two? Just curious."

Ace found no problem with the question, since his age didn't dictate his power. "I'm nineteen and Luffy is thirteen." The others looked at Luffy interest. He was only thirteen? How fast did dragons grow? Ace turned to Luffy when he tapped his shoulder.

_Can you ask why his hair is so big?_

"He might get mad at that," Ace said, though he was suppressing a chuckle. Luffy just looked straight at Thatch's hair.

"He can ask anything he wants," Thatch said, having a feeling he knew why Luffy was looking at him. Ace sighed, and asked Thatch what Luffy wanted to. The others chuckled. "It's called a 'pompadour', and I take pride in it," Thatch responded.

_Ace, you should eat, too, _Luffy insisted_. If we are leaving tomorrow you should eat while you can. It's free food._

"I'm not hungry," Ace said. Luffy grew irritated and took a piece of bread into his mouth and shoved it into Ace's. _Eat. _Ace glared at him, turning red when the others laughed, but ate the bread.

It was getting darker, and Luffy was still extremely tired. Ace had eaten the rest of the food that Luffy was done with, since they'd brought him quite a large serving. "C'mon, let's go to bed," Ace said, standing up and leading Luffy away from the group, who admired the beautiful dragon. Ace better be careful with him. There's no doubt he would be sold for a pretty penny if he were caught.

"Are you two sleeping out on deck?" Izo asked in disbelief. Ace looked at him in confusion and nodded. "Pfft. _No_, you're sleeping in the guest room. The halls are quite big, so Luffy can fit inside," the crossdresser insisted. Ace didn't want to sleep outside, and a bed would be _wonderful. _He didn't turn it down. When would the next chance that they could sleep inside?

"Okay."

Izo lead them through the ship, shooing away curious pirates who hadn't even noticed the trespasser. Even the ones at the table he'd stolen from had ignored him. The pirates couldn't help but stare at the "mythical" creature as it walked next to a young man. They were sure pops would explain to them what happened and who the teen and dragon were.

Ace glared at all of the eyes, with Luffy looking straight ahead. He'd never been in a confined space with so many strangers before, and it was clearly bothering him. They reached the room quicker with their fast pace, and were ushered inside. Luffy and Ace stared it the bed for a moment. They were expecting a mat, like back at the bandits' place.

Ace experimentally touched it while Luffy sniffed the new surroundings. "See you in the morning," Izo said simply, closing the door behind him. Ace and Luffy were waiting for the door to lock, but it didn't.

Luffy tried to fit on the bed, but it wasn't working too well. There was no room for Ace when he was able to curl up his big body.

Ace took all of the bedding off and put it on the floor next to the bed for Luffy. Even the blankets were better than everything they'd slept on since starting their journey. They were both out like a light.


	4. Discovering New Things

**Maddie_Madson: Shanks will appear much late in the story more. I wrote a little one shot of the world's reactions to the event but I will probably post that after the whole story is out. I'm feeling better, thank you. <3 **

**Maria: Don't worry, I have all of it written out so even if I'm not feeling well I can still post. Ace is silly. **

* * *

**In this chapter we learn more about Ace and Luffy's bodies and their differences to each other and normal humans. Enjoy~**

* * *

"Holy shit!" a shout came from the deck. The pirate went running into the galley to the commanders already there, with Ace and Luffy sitting in the corner, having refused to sit at the table since Luffy couldn't comfortably.

The pirate handed Marco the paper. His eyes widened at the headline: _**Terrorist Burns Down Mary Geoise. No Survivors**__. _Ace and Luffy hurried over and looked at it. "See! I _told _you!" Ace hissed. Marco looked at the brothers in shock, turning back to the paper and reading the rest. Ace's story was true. There was a cube of unbreakable ice that surrounded the city, and when the ice melted, everything and everyone was gone. Marco was surprised they were truthful in the clip. That they couldn't get through the ice.

It showed a picture of the ruins. There was literally _nothing_ there anymore. It was like the city had never existed. A wanted poster slid out, and like Ace and Luffy thought, there was no picture or name.

It had a blank image, and no name. The bounty was seven billion berries. The highest bounty ever, even higher than a Yonkos. And they had no clue that Luffy was involved, or a mention of a flying creature would have been on the poster.

The other commanders came over and read the headline and saw the image. They looked thoroughly shocked, and turned and stared at the brothers. But they weren't smiling. They weren't happy with the clip, or smiling at what they'd done. It was for their brother, they didn't kill everyone because it would be fun.

Pops was the last to read the paper, and whistled. He had doubted the kid's story, but damn, it was _true. _They had a collective bounty higher than even any of the Yonko's, including Whitebeard's.

Ace huffed, irritated that none of them had believed him last night, and the brothers went back to their food.

_I'm glad they don't know who did it._

_Me too. But damn, we have a high bounty. Do you regret it?_

_No… I don't regret it, but it was hard. I was scared we'd get caught. _Ace reached over and gave Luffy a tight hug.

_I would never let anything happen to you. Even if you're older now, you're still my baby brother and _**no one** _will ever touch you, or hurt you. And if anyone manages to, they'll have the same fate as the damn World Nobles._

Luffy hugged him back, and then Ace laid on his back so Luffy could rest more on him. It hadn't happened in awhile, but Luffy started kneading his brother. It was something that calmed him down if he was upset, or if he was happy, and it showed Ace how much he loved him.

_No matter what, we'll always be together. Okay?_

_Okay, Ace._

Ace rubbed the back of Luffy's head while they cuddled. Ace kind of missed little Luffy that he could hold in his arms. And he knew others were watching, but he didn't give a damn.

The commanders at the table watched Luffy and Ace interact, and they were clearly having a conversation the others couldn't hear. When Luffy laid on Ace and started kneading him like a cat, Thatch just about squealed at the cuteness.

"Don't let anyone know it was them," Whitebeard suddenly said. The commanders agreed. Someone on the crew might spill the beans. After all, the bounty was seven _billion _berris. No one would mention it again.

"Ace, Luffy, please come here for a second," Whitebeard called. Ace and Luffy looked at each other, wondering what the man would say. "What are you planning to do next?" the big man asked.

"We're planning on going back to the East Blue and starting over, to find a crew and be pirates like we've always wanted to. We'll go back once everything calms down a bit," Ace answered. The others smiled a bit at the humble actions they were going to take. To start at the beginning. They did say they couldn't live full lives unless they avenged their brother. Now that that was done, they were going to go live out their lives if their brother _hadn't _been killed.

"And where are you planning on staying while the world is still in uproar? The New World is nothing like Paradise. You will find no safe island to reside on for awhile. Plus, you have no New World log pose. You're still wearing the Paradise log pose."

"What are you saying?" Ace asked, not understanding why Whitebeard was pointing out their problems.

"For the time being, would you like to stay on this ship?" the man asked. Ace and Luffy furrowed their brows, not understanding. They looked at each other in bewilderment.

"But… why? We literally just got back from killing hundreds of people," Ace pointed out quietly. Whitebeard chuckled.

"And you think we haven't? We're pirates," Whitebeard replied. "We kill Marines all of the time. Plus, what you two did has punished the World Nobles for their heinous actions. And you didn't just go on a killing spree. To be honest, if a Celestial Dragon or World Noble killed one of _our _family members, we would have found someway to get up and do what you did."

"Plus, you did it for family, and you said that your brother is more important than your life. We value family strongly here," Thatch said with a smile. Ace frowned, and turned to Luffy.

_What do you think?_

_There's a lot of people here… I'm not used to that. I already feel everyone staring at me when I pass._

_We won't stay here permanently. Just until we can get back safely. I don't really want to stay, but it's a good offer, isn't it? We'll get free food and a place under a roof to sleep. _Luffy still looked uncertain.

Those around the two wondered what they were talking about.

_I… guess we can stay. F-for now… I don't wanna be around everyone. I wish we could have gotten Sabo back from killing the World Nobles. No family will be like our family was. No one._

_I agree, Luffy. No one can replace Sabo. But we have to think about ourselves. This is a safe plan. Plus, Whitebeard was right. We have no New World log pose. We only came across this ship by dumb luck. We won't be that lucky again._

Luffy finally agreed, letting out a sigh. _Okay, we can stay._

"Okay. We'll stay with you guys for now. Thank you," Ace said politely. He had really lost it last night. He could have gotten both of them into trouble for his short temper. When they threatened Luffy, he lost all sense and turned hostile and belligerent. It was a miracle that he wasn't killed just for that.

Thatch grinned, while others smiled. Marco was watching Ace closely. He really wanted to know why Ace was different. He really didn't feel human. And he could speak with the dragon through their minds. Marco usually wasn't an overly curious person, but when he found something completely new and unfamiliar, he just wanted to know all about it.

"Okay you two, come with me to the kitchen," Thatch said, clapping his hands together. "I need to know what you're allergic to, what foods you hate, what foods you like, etcetera."

Ace and Luffy looked at each other. It wouldn't be a very long conversation. As they walked to the kitchen, Luffy suddenly stopped. "What's up?"

_Does it say anything about the slaves being caught in the paper? _Ace realized too, and both ran back to the commanders still with the paper.

"Did it say anything about the slaves being caught?" Ace asked hurriedly.

"No, it doesn't. Why?" the captain wondered. Ace explained that they had freed all of the slaves, but didnt know where they had escaped to or go from there. The commanders smiled more. Ace's face turned red and Luffy looked down, both in embarrassment of the smiles.

"We didn't do anything special or anything. We just didn't want to kill innocent people," Ace said and hurried back to the kitchen with Luffy trotting behind. They both felt eyes on their backs.

"They're good kids," Izo said. "Even if one of them is a dragon." Then he saw Marco's hard and suspicious gaze, and hit his shoulder. "It's none of your business, Marco. Kid could be a damn _alien_ and it _still_ wouldn't be your business. Don't scare them off because of uncharacteristic curiosity."

"You don't want to know what's different? He keeps saying their brothers. Don't you want to know the backstory?"

"Sure I do, but I'm not going to be a nosey asshole and give a terrible first impression. I think you should apologize for being so nosy and pushy. Plus, they might be with us for quite awhile. He may tell us if we get close enough to them." Izo huffed dramatically. "All good things to those who wait."

Marco frowned, but knew the sixteenth division commander was correct. It was none of Marco's business what Ace was, because he sure wasn't normal. The others didn't have the extra phoenyx senses Marco did. And something was very off about Ace. He sighed and closed his eyes. He wouldn't drive the brothers away by being pushy and nosy.

"You're right. I will be better about it," Marco said.

"But, you gotta admit, he's pretty cute. Those freckles are to die for," Izo said and walked away. He didn't notice Ace and Luffy staring at him, Ace's face bright red. Marco did notice, and chuckled. Luffy clearly could hear Izo's words and told poor Ace. But Izo was right.

"You two coming?" Thatch called from the kitchen. Ace shoved his hands in his pockets and walked next to his brother, who was trying not to chuckle.

_It was a compliment, _Luffy told Ace.

"I know. Still, it's weird! And I'm _not _cute…" Ace mumbled. Thatch looked at Ace strangely. He was telling his brother he wasn't cute? Thatch wondered what the two were speaking about. Oh well, they'd probably not tell him if he did ask.

"So, what kind of food do you two usually eat?" Thatch asked, friendly, as he set a pen on a pad of paper in the kitchen. It had a list of the crew members' allergies.

"Meat," Ace said simply. Thatch blinked.

"That's all?" he asked in disbelief, and also slight horror. Ace gave a curt nod. "Where did you grow up? What kind of food was around? Just having meat isn't healthy. I can see Luffy only eating meat, but a human needs other nutrients that aren't in meat." Ace just shrugged.

"It's all that was available where we lived. And it was the easiest food we could reach. We could hunt pretty well and I can cook anything I want pretty quickly. Since we left a couple months ago, we've had meat and other cheap foods. Some produce, since Luffy likes fruits and vegetables more than meat. But mostly different types of animals."

_Sabo told us it was unhealthy, too, _Luffy reminded Ace.

"Luffy is an omnivore?" Thatch asked in interest. Both brothers nodded. "So, Ace only eats meat, and Luffy does, too, but would like to eat something other than it?" Thatch surmised. Luffy nodded, sitting down next to his brother, his extremely long tail curling around him.

"Well, Ace, we need to work on your diet," Thatch said seriously. Ace frowned.

"But I'm perfectly healthy," the teen replied. Just looking at Ace would tell you he's healthy. At least he seemed to be on the outside. But, they would be going to medical next. If they were staying with the crew for a long period of time, the nurses needed to know more about the newbies. But they had no veterinarian for Luffy. Luffy was a dragon after all. But did he count as an animal?

"You may be, but you might also be deficient in some vitamins. We'll need to get that checked out when you go to see the nurses for the mandatory check up for new members. Well, new guests in your case." Ace sighed.

Ace was sat down with Luffy and both were forced to try new foods. Ace had to try anything other than meat. Luffy enjoyed trying new things. Ace hadn't known how sick Luffy was of meat. He gladly ate all the produce he was given. He ate watermelons whole. Thatch grinned. There were a lot of dishes that he could make out of fruits and vegetables. Easy snacks. But Luffy would be a challenge to feed. He was bigger than everyone but pops, and was still maturing and needed more nutrients to grow.

Ace hated many of the vegetables, and Luffy didn't hesitate to eat them in his place. Ace ate all the different types of food that _weren't _vegetables. Thatch frowned at his refusal to eat green vegetables.

"Ace, you need nutrients from vegetables," Thatch said irritably. "You can't just feed all of them to Luffy and expect me not to notice. Luffy looked at Ace, not understanding why he didn't like the produce.

"They're gross, okay?" Ace said. Luffy frowned at him.

_Ace, Thatch says you have to eat them. So eat them. He knows what's good for full humans. Sabo said the same thing, too, but we never really went anywhere with it unless it was for me._

Ace sighed. "I know… I just don't like eating stuff I don't like," Ace complained. Luffy gave him a serious look. "Okay, I'll try them," he conceded with a sigh. Luffy made sure to have Ace try all of the vegetables.

Ace looked green after eating steamed zucchini. Luffy liked it raw more, but Thatch said it tasted better softer with some butter and spices on it. But he did as he was told and ate the food he was given. He didn't like seeing or hearing Luffy being at all disappointed with him.

"There, I ate everything," Ace said, with a barely-there pout. He looked so young to Thatch. The youngest member they'd had in a very long time.

"Good! Now, what did you like?" the cook questioned, ready to write Ace's answer on the sheet of paper. Luffy didn't need one since he liked all of the food he was given to try.

"None," Ace replied, getting a frown from Luffy, and sighed. "I didn't hate broccoli, carrots, and spinach. Everything else was terrible, but I tried it."

"Those are good choices." Then the cook turned to Luffy. "And you liked everything?" Luffy nodded and got a smile from Thatch. "Then you'll be easy to cook for. Now, do either of you have any known allergies?"

"The only one I know about is garlic. It makes me explode," Ace said in a bored tone. Thatch let out a surprised laugh, and then nodded and scribbled something on the pad of paper.

"So foods that react to fire are a no go?" Thatch asked. Ace nodded. "What about you, Luffy?" Luffy had no known allergies, which Ace said for him. "So, Luffy, I'll be serving you extra produce, if that's okay." Luffy nodded his head vigorously. Ace looked guilty.

"Why didn't you tell me you were so sick of meat?" Ace asked sadly.

_It was the easiest to find back home, and we couldn't exactly go pick fruits off trees on the islands we passed, _Luffy said in a nice tone. Ace just smiled faintly. Luffy was the best one in his life that could reassure him in things. He was even better than Sabo had been. He and Luffy just reacted to each other with love, and always would.

"Alright, you two. Time to go the nurses. Do you want someone to go with you? The nurses have to inform the captain of anything big in the examination. And be truthful about your devil fruit. We don't have a veterinarian, so Luffy probably won't really get a check up." Both Ace and Luffy looked quite offended.

"Luffy isn't just some animal. We'd appreciate it if you treat him like a person, just one who can't speak," Ace said in a slight scolding voice.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything disrespectful. Sorry, Luffy," Thatch said sincerely. Luffy nodded his head in forgiveness. "I'll show you two to the infirmary. Now, be polite to the nurses, since they control everything having to do with your health." Ace nodded.

_Ace, what are we gonna do when they ask about you having a devil fruit._

_I'll just say I don't know why I'm immune to sea stone. And can swim. Maybe I ate a special fruit or something. I'm a good liar. I think. Well, I'll do my best,_ Ace said, but sounded nervous. Luffy wished he could do the talking for Ace.

The three passed many pirates, and neither brothers appreciated the way they were all looking at Luffy. Sure, Luffy was something new, but they looked at him like he was just something to look at. Something entertaining. "Stop staring," Ace snapped, staring into each pirates' eyes and lighting himself on fire slightly. They all quickly walked away. "Thatch, neither of us will accept anyone looking at Luffy like a sideshow or pet. I'd appreciate if the important pirates said something about that."

Thatch frowned. He, too, would be offended. "Absolutely. We're explaining what you two are doing here briefly, but won't mention or reveal why you are really here. Promise."

"Thanks."

When they reached the infirmary, and opened the door, Luffy immediately exited, rubbing his nose with his front foot. It smelled strongly of smells the dragon had never encountered before. _Smells really bad, Ace._

"Remember at Gray Terminal? You got used to that smell pretty quickly and it was made of trash. You can get used to it," Ace said kindly. Thatch wondered what Gray Terminal was. And why it smelled.

"Well, anyways, see you later. Good luck, you two," Thatch said and walked back the way they'd come.

Luffy followed Ace into the room, and was glad that they'd moved the beds for a larger area Luffy could fit. Ace was worried they'd just kick Luffy out.

A kind looking woman with blonde hair walked over to them with a clipboard holding some papers. "My name is Tami. I'll be doing the examination. Ace is first, since he seems to be easier to do the exam.

"First, I'd like to take your blood, in case you need a transfusion sometime. But, I've been told you have a logia devil fruit, so you will most likely never need one. I'll need to put a sea stone cuff on you to keep you solid," Tami said as she got the tools to draw blood.

"About that, sea stone cuffs or bullets don't work on me. We don't know why. If you try to draw blood, I don't know what will come out," Ace explained. Tami smiled and said she'd try anyways. Just to see what would happen and if it might actually work.

She wrapped a rubber band around his arm and wiped the inside of his elbow. Ace had never had his blood drawn, but he wasn't nervous. He wouldn't feel it if it usually hurt someone. When she attempted to draw blood into the syringe, she was fascinated when flames filled the clear, plastic barrel. It didn't melt anything, but they just flickered inside.

"Very interesting," Tami mused, but wasn't deterred. It would make things harder for her to get a thorough check up if he was completely made of fire like this. What else was different? She was excited to find out. "Alright, height and weight now," she said, leading Ace to the scale that also had a measuring stick behind it. "182 lbs. A healthy weight that looks about right with your outward appearance. Height: 6 '1. BMI is where it should be. Healthy so far.

"Blood pressure next. Sit down here, please," Tami said, scribbling some more information on her clipboard as she directed him to a plain chair, and wrapped some fabric thing around him, which steadily got tighter and tighter. It was a bit uncomfortable.

When he looked up, the nurse looked extremely confused. "It appears the sleeve is not working. I'll go get a replacement," she said and walked across the large room.

_Something's wrong, _Luffy said with a frown. Ace nodded. He was worried about what she found. He hoped it was just the sleeve was broken. If there was something completely strange about him, it might blow their cover a bit. Marco would get even more pushy.

The brothers barely knew these people. They would not expose their parents, or blood lines, or their species. Ace wouldn't let anyone know he had dragon blood. Who knows where that information would leak to? Luffy was already more exposed than they both would have liked. Both had a feeling Shanks wouldn't tell anyone. But this ship had over a _thousand _people. Some are bound to want some money, even if it was just turning them both in to Marines to be guinea pigs.

But, Ace and Luffy should be too powerful for anyone to harm them. Though, better safe than sorry.

Tami came back over, but with another nurse with her, who introduced herself as Layla. Tami took Ace's blood pressure again, and that shocked look came back. "Tami, sit down here. Ace, please move," Layla said, and quickly took Tami's blood pressure. It worked fine. "Alright," the second nurse said calmly. "Ace, please sit on the bed over here."

"But, what was the problem?" Ace asked in a worried voice. He went and sat on the bed, but wasn't answered before a cool thing was pressed against his back and then chest, which was connected to Layla's ears.

"Well, it appears you have no heartbeat, which is impossible," Tami said, finally over her shock and looking back to being professional. "It could be that you are a logia, but it's unfortunate we can't solidify your body since you are strangely immune to sea stone. For now, we'll assume it is because of you being a logia." Then she took his temperature, but was not surprised when it was higher than most.

The check up continued, with Layla leaving Tami to continue the examination. Ace's eyes were tested, and reacted perfectly normal. It went fine besides the blood and heartbeat problems. When it was Luffy's turn, both brothers were curious about what would go on with the dragon.

A woman named Whiskey came out of the office that seemed connected to the infirmary's main room and next to the large walk in warehouse/closet that carried supplies and a variety of medication. The head nurse, as she informed the patients, was here to check up on Luffy. She had read up on the few animal medical books. They never used them, but it was lucky they hadn't gotten rid of them.

The nurse wasn't nervous at all with getting up close and personal to Luffy's face. "Open your eyes wide for me," she commanded, and shined a bright light into his eyes. They reacted like a human's would. She took his temperature, just in case he got sick and it changed temperatures drastically. She scribbled on her clipboard even faster than the other nurses.

She took out a large stethoscope and felt around his chest, looking for where his heart was. Despite the thick skin, Whiskey could hear it just fine. "Now, open your mouth for me," Whiskey said. She checked out Luffy's teeth and shape of the palate. He had what looked like human teeth, though the canines were longer and more pointed.

He had the same looking both teeth and tongue as a human, meaning he chewed the same was humans did. If it weren't the shape of his skull and jaw being different, there was no doubt Luffy could move his mouth in the shapes a human did to speak. _Fascinating._

By the time Luffy's exam was over, almost all of Whiskey's clipboard was full. "Luffy, it seems that you share many characteristics with humans. Namely, your mouth and teeth, the way your eyes react, the pace of your heart beat, and your body temperature. I can't do any blood pressure tests due to the size and thickness of your legs, or take any blood for the thickness of your skin.

"It was very interesting exam and I'm glad I was the one to do it," she said with a smile, but didnt pet him on head like many other humans would, and the brothers were glad of that. "I will have to tell the captain some of the information from both of you. But, is there anything you don't want them to know?"

_Nothing from me is bad, _Luffy said.

"Luffy's fine with everything about him being told to Whitebeard. I'd like you to not tell them I have no heartbeat. They might think I'm sick or not human or something," Ace complained. The nursed looked at each other. They were planning on telling that one.

"We will have to tell the captain about that, for it is a big medical difference and anything far out of the ordinary or unhealthy must be told to him. You can request for him to not tell any of the commanders."

Ace swore under his breath, looking uncomfortable and nervous. The nurses noticed this, but before they could say anything, Luffy had stood up on his back legs and hugged Ace. Ace didn't waver under Luffy's weight, and took deep breaths, calming almost instantly. Luffy dropped back down to all fours.

"Alright. Please tell him not to tell any of the commanders. Especially Marco," Ace said in a hard voice. Marco was nosy, and Ace didn't want him knowing even more differences in Ace. Whiskey agreed politely, and lead them both out.

The brothers thanked her and followed the faint smell of food and sense of humans.

_I never knew you didn't have a heartbeat, _Luffy said.

_Me neither. I guess it makes sense since I'm completely made of fire except on the outside. I wonder if I even have all the organs in a regular human body. Obviously I have the system to eat food, but either no heart or just no heartbeat? It's weird._

Luffy agreed and nodded his head. They reached the galley but didn't enter, trying to hear what everyone was talking about, but they clearly came at the end of the conversation as Whitebeard said, "I expect you to all follow my orders".

After it was said, and chatter resumed, Luffy and Ace left to go outside. People exited the galley and walked down the same hall behind Ace and Luffy. They both were on edge, ready to fight. They didn't trust these people yet. They had never been around people, now thinking about it. The most people they'd been around was Shanks' crew members. There were too many people here to get used to quickly.

Neither knew how different it felt to be just the two of them and then suddenly over a thousand people in a confined space with them. They both hoped they got used to it soon. Luffy, more than Ace. Ace just seemed like a regular human. Unlike Luffy, nothing about his appearance gave away his genes. Nothing on Luffy gave off anything about him being part human, even though it was much less than Ace was.

The main things were hidden from people not looking inside his mouth or hearing his heartbeat. Things would be very different here. He hoped it'd all work out since they really had no place to go. Plus, they'd be here for awhile most likely. They'd damaged the world government severely. There were bound to be consequences, but they couldn't bring themselves to care.


	5. Troubles With Humans

**Maddie_Madson: Aww thank you! Not so much fluff in this chapter, but the next story I post is super fluffy.**

* * *

**I finished another fanfiction! It's taking a long time to edit, as it's 86,000 words, but I will be posting it soon. It's super fluffy and cute.**

**This is a shorter chapter. Enjoy~**

* * *

Whitebeard sat in his room, looking over the paperwork the nurses had put together. Marco had been inside, since he was usually present as first mate when it came to the health of all of his brothers.

When he was politely kicked out, Marco was thoroughly offended by Ace refusing him learning what had happened during the check up. Damn, Izo was right. He shouldn't have been so nosy from the start. He needed to apologize to Ace.

But it was too late, and the brothers had no doubt retired to their spare room. He wandered back to his own room to go to bed.

Whitebeard's eyebrows raised when he read that Ace had no heartbeat, and was immune to sea stone. The captain wouldn't be surprised if the young man could swim. Of course, no one would be throwing him overboard as a test, since he and Luffy would most likely leave after that. After all, they just met, and first impressions dictate a lot of future feelings and actions.

He was also intrigued with Tami being able to withdraw flames into a syringe. Whitebeard was sure there was something _very _different about Ace. No wonder Marco was so intrigued. He told his father that he could tell easily that Ace was different compared to others because of his phoenyx senses.

The captain was also intrigued with the dragon's similarities to a human body. There had been no blood test since Whiskey could tell by touching that Luffy's skin was too thick to be penetrated by a needle.

The commanders were dying to know and see more about Luffy's abilities. After all, he'd make extremely hard ice shields that only Pop's bisento could break. Plus, it had surrounded all of Mary Geious and had been unbreakable, even to the admirals who no doubt had been dispatched. And the dragon was extremely afraid of everyone who was chasing him and his brother.

Poor Luffy. He hoped that didn't ruin any future interactions with the commanders. At least they seemed friendly enough with Thatch. Hopefully everything would work out. The man really wanted to know about both of them. Having them on the ship should be fun.

-x-

The next day, breakfast was fine, Ace sitting with Luffy in the corner again. Luffy ate only produce for breakfast, which the dragon was perfectly happy with. Everyone who saw him eating fruits and vegetables were surprised that a dragon would eat anything other than meat, which Ace seemed to live off of. He was glaring at the vegetables he was being forced to eat, even though they were the ones he hated the least

He kept trying to feed them to Luffy, but each time, Luffy pushed it back. Finally, Ace broke the last straw and Luffy picked up the big carrot with his hand and shoved it into Ace's mouth, making the teen choke.

_Stop trying to feed me your food. It's for your health you eat the vegetables! _Luffy said angrily. Ace had the decency to look a bit guilty. He finally ate the few carrots he was given, as well as steamed broccoli. He hated it, but he ate them.

_There. Happy? _Ace grumbled. Luffy nodded, laying down on his side, his food all finished, and more full than he'd been in a long time.

_Ace should always be healthy. I don't wanna be alone, _Luffy said, his eyes closed in peacefulness. Despite the noise of the other pirates, he felt content. He and Ace were eating, healthy and not hungry all the time. Luffy's wings felt fine again, from Ace massaging them in their room.

Though it was ridiculous, Ace and Luffy had agreed to not have Ace be physical with him. AKA: not petting or rubbing his skin. The others might think that, since Ace could do it, Luffy liked being pet and they should be able to do it, too.

While that might not even be necessary after Whitebeard talked to everyone, they were still going to be less physical for a bit while others got used to them and they got used to others. Though Luffy did like being tickled and rubbed, he didn't want anyone else to attempt to.

_Ace, do you think I'll get in trouble for swatting someone away if they try and touch me?_

_I would swat them away if someone decided to just try to touch me without permission. So I don't think so. Well, I hope not. You're a person, too. You may be a dragon on the outside, but inside you're a person, _Ace said in a kind voice. Luffy made a sound of agreement to Ace.

_I have another question, _Luffy said, though not in a light voice. _Do you think Garp knows it was us?_

The blood drained from Ace's face. Oh no. if Ace's voice was recorded when he killed the people in the panic room, then Garp may be able to recognize his voice. He looked to Luffy in horror. He took a deep breath. _I guess we'll find out, eventually, won't we? _Luffy nodded, not feeling so content anymore. _It'll be okay. And we're pretty protected on this ship right now. We'll be safe for the time being. Besides, after what we did, I doubt any bounty hunter is gonna come after us. Maybe some idiot will._

_And Garp hasn't taken a picture of either of us in a long time. Right?_

_Yeah, that's a good point. I wouldn't worry about it right now. Besides, even if we do get caught, I'm not affected by sea stone, water or any weapon. And you can create ice anywhere. We're invincible._

The commanders watched Ace and Luffy converse in their heads. Some of the other members who _weren't _commanders watched as well, though they didn't know that the two brothers could communicate in a way no one knew what they were saying. What a useful ability. Able to converse while making zero sound.

Thatch was glad both of the guests had eaten all of the food, though Ace had to be convinced by his brother, roughly. They really were very close. He wondered how close. And how were they brothers if they were completely different species? Well, from looks.

Those watching the brothers saw fear dawn on Ace's face, where he became pale. He looked at his brother, but then gave a forced, and reassuring, smile. They both calmed down after that. The others wondered, once again, what they were talking about.

The brothers brought their plates to the kitchen, Luffy carrying his by wrapping his very flexible tail around the thick dishware, and then went outside. Neither made eye contact with anyone, but you could tell from their expressions that they knew everyone was looking at them.

This might become a problem.

"Oi. Everyone, quit staring at them," Marco said in a voice loud enough for everyone but not shouting.

"It's kinda hard no to. I mean, it's a fucking dragon," someone from the third division said.

"_He's _a fucking dragon," Thatch said a bit snippy. "Luffy can understand everyone, he's not some regular animal who barely has any idea of what humans are saying. We've had conversations with him, so how do you think he feels when people treat him like some sort of zoo animal on display?"

Many of the pirates frowned. The commanders knew how they all felt, the captain knew how they all felt, but that didn't mean they could treat him as less than a person. It was probably hard for everyone to swallow. An "animal" that can understand and was smart enough to have conversations with humans. Poor Luffy.

Ace and Luffy passed a few people going to lunch, and neither were happy with the reactions. Luffy's jaw was tight as he walked past dozens of pirates openly staring at him. Ace knew they had stopped behind them to stare, and it was too much.

"Why don't you take a fucking PICTURE, it'll last longer!" the young man shouted angrily. The others all jumped, like they hadn't even known they were doing something very disrespectful. They probably were now fussing about "it was a dragon! Of course we're staring!"

Luffy hung his head, and when they got out on deck, he walked to the far deck with Ace, creating a wall of ice behind them that reached the railing so no one could go around it. Luffy just stared at the ocean.

"I'm sorry they're acting like this," Ace said solemnly.

_I wish I was like you. I feel trapped in my body. I can understand everything and everyone but can't even talk. Not even the bandits acted like this around me, even after they realized I was safe. I didn't mind Shanks doing it, since he was just so openly happy about meeting me. These pirates just stare. I'm already sick of it. We're not staying here permanently, are we? _Luffy asked sadly.

"No, once it's safe, we're going back home and starting our journey from the start," Ace said strongly. Luffy nodded his head. "Other people aren't like me and Sabo, apparently."

_Guess not. Shanks was nice. His crew was fun and smaller._

"We can always go out and look for them again," Ace offered. Luffy gave a half-hearted hum. "Main thing is we are safe here for now. We don't know what's up with the government at the moment. It's the best place we can be, so we just have to tough it out."

-x-

The next two days followed the same pattern. No one directly spoke to Luffy but the commanders. Luffy was called "Ace's dragon" multiple times, Ace was asked if they could pet Luffy, Luffy was touched without permission, Luffy was stared at everywhere he went, and most talked about him like he wasn't there. It _infuriated _both brothers.

There had even been instances where Luffy was trying to nap in the sun and someone would come over and bother him. He swatted away a fair share of pirates who woke him up by being too close. Luffy even started making barriers of spikes around him when he napped, which was soon becoming clear that it would never be a peaceful nap.

Ace was absolutely livid with everyone when Luffy finally gave up on being on deck and just stayed in their room for most of the second day.

The commanders and captain just didn't seem to understand how Luffy was essentially a human who just couldn't speak. Ace was contemplating telling Whitebeard that Luffy was part human, and how would anyone feel if they were treated like this? But, he wouldn't have the captain telling the entire crew. Plus, Ace would end up confessing his lineage as well. Marco was clearly already expecting something was seriously up with Ace, even though he hadn't been told about Ace's missing heart beat.

The commanders tried to engage with Ace, but he wasn't having it. Not when Luffy was hiding in the guest room, in the dark besides the porthole. He would not exclude his brother. So Ace spent most of the time in the room with Luffy, waiting for meals and wondering about what the next newspaper would hold. There hadn't been anything huge the couple days following the first article.

It was a bit after breakfast on the third day that there was something in the paper talking about the aftereffects of the Mary Geoise Massacre, as it was called. Ace was the one to pick the paper up from where the News Coo dropped it. He had been waiting for it.

He looked at it briefly before heading inside to show Luffy before he read it first. Luffy was in their spare room, still asleep. He was sleeping longer with being inside. Luffy wasn't meant to be inside anywhere. Even back at the bandits, not so long ago, Luffy and Ace had made their own hut that was open on one side. It was just so they stayed dry and warm with a sheet able to be thrown over one side.

"Luffy, newspaper," Ace woke his brother up gently. The dragon gave a big yawn and stretched, before asking for Ace to read it. "It's talking about riots breaking out all over the world. There's even a picture. What the -" Ace laughed. "Look at the picture of this riot, Luffy," he said sarcastically. Luffy looked at the photo.

_They're smiling. That's not a riot is it?_

"No, this looks more like a celebration. Also says there's no chance of rebuilding the city anytime soon, since almost all the World Nobles were gone. It doesn't say it, but I bet, if there are any Celestial Dragons left, they won't be going anywhere out in the open. It was a planned assasination, so someone was clearly after all of them.

"There's no hint about us being exposed. I honestly don't know what Gramps is gonna do. I'm positive he doesn't know of your ice power, since you refused to go anywhere near him when he'd visit. But, if he knows we left Dawn Island, he may connect the dots." Ace sighed. "Well, we expected consequences when we pulled it off."

Luffy nodded, Ace telling him he'd be right back. He was gonna give the paper to the commanders or captain to read and get both of them some breakfast. Luffy's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. _Okay._

Ace walked through the halls he had memorized already, ignoring other pirates. He could recognize the ones who openly bothered Luffy, and wanted to burn them somewhere, painfully. But, he didn't want to "get in trouble" (as if anyone could hurt him). He just gave them a glare that they looked away from. Ace could be terrifying if he wanted to. Especially when he caught on fire, which had happened multiple times.

When he entered the galley, food was on the tables, waiting for pirates to come in at their own pace. Ace walked over to the commanders' table and set it down in front of Marco. "Today's newspaper," Ace said simply, but not snappy. He was doing his best to not snap at those who weren't disrespecting Luffy.

After all, they fed them and gave the brothers shelter. Not that that made him never pissed. He just wasn't pissed at certain people.

"Oh, thanks. How are you doing?" Marco asked, putting the paper next to his food.

"Alright," Ace said, and just stared at Marco expectantly. The commander looked at him strangely, not knowing why Ace was just staring at him. Ace glared, knowing Marco wouldn't ask. "I'll just tell you, since you weren't going to ask; Luffy's miserable." And then he got piles of plates of food, able to balance them perfectly.

Marco cursed, knowing why that had bothered Ace. He had completely forgotten about the dragon. No, the brother. He got up to follow Ace. "What's wrong with him?" the man asked. Ace scoffed.

"You havent noticed everyong trying to pet him while he sleeps without fucking permission, or staring at him, or asking _me _questions that should be directed to _him? _Or everyone calling him 'Ace's dragon'? Or the person who told him his skin would make a nice leather jacket?" Ace spat the last part. He hadn't seen who it was who said that, but he wanted to burn him into a crisp. "Other than those, he's doing great, stuck in the dark so no one bothers him."

Ace reached his and Luffy's room and slammed the door closed behind him in Marco's face. How could he not notice what everyone was doing? It was very obvious, and no one seemed to care about being caught.

He'd seen commanders just tell someone to knock it off when someone bugged Luffy, and when said person did it again, the commander said nothing again. No one cared about respecting his brother. Thatch was nice, but didn't enforce the "rules" that no one was allowed to approach Luffy with no permission.

Ace rarely saw Whitebeard, as he and Luffy were rarely in the galley anymore, and was spending more and more time in their room and not out on deck where the captain hung out most of the time, on that massive chair. Did he know what was going on? He invited them to stay, but lets Luffy get treated like crap?

Ace decided. He needed to talk to the man, and tell him that they both will leave unless things change. The crew didn't seem to get how Luffy acted. They didn't know he was part human. Clearly, his mind was the most human attribute he had. If it was for Luffy's comfort and safety, Ace would tell the old man the truth.

After both finished their meals, Ace told Luffy what he was thinking. _We don't have 'll get in trouble._

"Don't be so selfless it's selfish. I'm not the only guest who should matter. We should be treated equally, and as equals. They don't seem to understand how anthropomorphic you are. They see you as an animal, and you're fucking _not. _I won't allow this treatment to continue, or we will both leave. We will just keep flying in the direction the Red Line is, like we'd done after leaving."

Luffy knew Ace was right. They could always leave if things went south. They were both strong enough to fight off any pirates, probably besides Marco and Whitebeard. Those were the two strongest pirates. Ace and Luffy didn't count, as they weren't pirates yet. They were fugitives.

_When should we go talk to him?_

"I'd like to get it done as soon as possible. Maybe in a couple hours but before lunch."

_Okay. Thank you. You're a good big brother. _Ace just grinned at him.

"I always will be."


	6. Thoughtful Accommodations

**This is a shorter chapter, I didn't even notice. Sorry about that. And I finished another fanfiction, and I posted the first chapter. It's called "To Raise a Vampire" and it's super fluffy, so please check it out. Enjoy~**

* * *

Marco had called a meeting between commanders and the captain immediately after he heard what was going on with Luffy from Ace. Marco couldn't be more disappointed with how he was being treated. And he wished he knew who the _hell _told Luffy he'd make a nice leather jacket. It disgusted him that one of his brothers would say something like that. Even if Luffy _couldn't _understand what he'd said, it was still horrible. They were abusing the fact that Luffy was peaceful and would not harm anyone. At least not _yet_.

All the commanders sat in the meeting room, wondering what Marco was so serious about that would call an impromptu meeting. Whitebeard looked very serious, concerned about what happened to make his son look so cold and angry.

"There's a problem regarding Luffy. I've just heard some horrifying things that _our family _has done. And, I'm sure a handful, _at least, _of you have witnessed it. First of all, Luffy is being treated like a pet, and is being constantly harassed or mistreated. He's taken to hiding in their room to get away from everyone else. We know that Luffy has a lot of human-like attributes, and I wouldn't hesitate to say his brain is one of them.

"He understands us and can have conversations with Ace. I sincerely hope that none of you know who told Luffy he would make a nice _leather jacket._" A few others looked outraged. What a horrible thing to tell someone!

"No one is enforcing the rules about Luffy being treated like a person." Marco looked into each and every commander's eyes, and he could tell who was guilty of that. Thatch usually spent most of the time inside, so has not been involved with the whole thing. He looked livid, so Marco could tell he wasn't guilty. He knew Izo wouldn't tolerate seeing something like that due to his strict "respect all or be punished" attitude.

For many of the others, besides Haruta, Vista, Jozu, and Fossa, they all looked guilty. "We all need to tell people that treating anyone like this is wrong and punishable. I'm not going to ask who has not been doing that, but you need to. I can tell by your faces, who is guilty of letting this slide."

The captain sighed. At the rate this was going, Ace and Luffy would leave, and probably get lost, in trouble, or caught and executed. Whitebeard really did like the two, but could understand completely if they decided to leave.

Marco was right. Luffy probably was close to or had a brain that functions like a humans. He really wanted to know their guest's secrets, but would not pry. Why would the two trust him, or anyone on the ship, with such important information they were hiding? Knowing how they were related could be dangerous for them. Knowing why Ace was different, not just that he was completely made of fire, and immune to something that should weaken him if he had a devil fruit. Ace felt different in the captain's haki. He was positive Ace wasn't fully, or at all, human.

No, this would not do. "I want anyone who mistreats the brothers - _especially _Luffy - to be sent to me. And, Thatch, could you go fetch both of them for me? I assume they are still both holed up in their room." The captain sighed. How _disappointed _he was in his sons. He had thought better of them.

"Okay," Thatch said and hurried off and out of the room. Whitebeard dismissed everyone else, even Marco.

"Thank you, Marco, for bringing this to my attention." Marco nodded, still looking angry, and left the room, passing the brothers on his way down the hall. Luffy made no eye contact with him as they passed, and Ace just scowled straight ahead of him.

Ace and Luffy entered the big room, where only Whitebeard was waiting for them. He gestured for Ace to sit in one of the comfy chairs. Ace instead sat on the floor with Luffy next to him.

"Marco has told me about what you said has been happening with the other members. I wish you had brought it to my attention, so I could have put a stop to it sooner. You are our guests, and Marco was horrified to hear what you said and called a meeting. All of the commanders are ordered to send anyone who mistreats Luffy to come to me. I'd like for you to report it if no one is around. It will not be tattling, as it is a captain's command, even if you two arent crew members."

"We have something to tell you that might make you think worse of how Luffy's been treated. Luffy is part human. He thinks and feels like a human. If you or any of your crew were treated like a side-show, pet, or brainless animal, how would you feel?" Ace asked in a hard voice. When Whitebeard told them he had expected something like that, and that he would most likely knock someone overboard if they were to treat him how they had been acting towards Luffy, they looked startled.

"Your family does not matter. You two are your own persons, and genes aside, deserve the respect everyone who is decent would deserve. Ace, you don't need to tell me anything about yourself if you don't wish to, as it is not necessary and would change nothing of how you would be treated, as I would not share the information with anyone else. Not even Marco," the man finished. Ace and Luffy looked at him in a shocked way.

"We aren't even your crew members. Why are you being so nice and saying you'd punish those who treated us badly?"

"I like to think of myself as a decent human being, and plus, I like you two. You're spunky and pretty family oriented, which I can respect and sympathize with. You can stay as long as you wish, and if you wish to leave, no one will stop you. If you do leave, we'll provide you with a spare New World log pose.

"I never thought about how cramped your room may be for Luffy, so if you need more space to be comfortable, we can clear out one of the larger storage rooms and swap that with your current room," Whitebeard said conversationally, grinning at the shocked expressions of the two. It was strange, how expressive Luffy's face could be.

_Too bad the bandits weren't this nice… _Luffy said. Ace rubbed his back.

_I agree. Do you think we can try again? Now that he knows and will punish them personally, we can try going on deck again. This time, let's go when the captain is out._

Luffy nodded his head, laying down and finally relaxing next to Ace. Whitebeard could tell Luffy was liking what he was hearing when he started kneading Ace's leg like a cat, the talons not hurting the young man. Ace put his hand on Luffy's head, who started purring.

The captain smiled at this. He wondered what they had said to each other.

_Can we try and go on deck to be in the sun? I don't like being in the dark rooms. And I want to have a bigger room._

"Can we take you up on the offer of a larger room?" Ace asked, somewhat hesitantly. What if this man was just baiting them and trying to get them to like him, and was lying. But this was proved wrong when he told Ace that he'd have to be done before bed time that night. Ace thanked him, with Luffy giving a head bow in acknowledgment as well.

_Let's go outside. It's still sunny, you can take a nap in it. I'll make sure no one bugs you,_ Ace said. Luffy nodded and both stood up to exit the room. Whitebeard didn't stare, as he had just chided about those who had, but Luffy was very beautiful. He could see why people stared, but it was still rude and probably offending, as Luffy was sentient, to be gawked at all the time.

He followed the brothers out onto deck, observing those who they passed. Whitebeard gave off a warning look to those that stared too long at the dragon. They went back to what they'd been doing when they saw the captain frown at them.

With Whitebeard staying on deck while Ace and Luffy were out, he was able to supervise the others, and reprimand them harshly if they bothered Luffy in any way. The brothers had situated themselves on the whale's head, away from everyone else. The man saw some of his sons whispering something, but Whitebeard couldn't hear.

Ace, however, knew what they were saying as Luffy had heard them and told Ace. "No, Luffy is not displaying any powers. You can forget it," he called the pair, who glowered at them and stomped away. Whitebeard didn't reprimand these two, as they had left after Ace called them out. If they came back, then the captain would deal with them.

Luffy did eventually fall asleep, and since they were behind Whitebeard's throne, no one bothered them as they would have to pass their father. No one even stared. Only, Ace knew it was only because the captain was out on deck that no one bothered them. But at least Luffy got to nap in the sunlight and not in a dark room.

Ace didn't know why Luffy napped so much now. It had been only a couple days since Mary Geious, and before that was almost non-stop flying. So many he was still tired from the journey. It was strange to both of them that, after only a couple days, the captain liked them enough to go against his own sons' behaviors.

Whitebeard seemed like a good man.

-x-

That night, the brothers ate in the galley with everyone else, though they were still in a corner. Neither were comfortable being around all of the others yet, so they still kept to themselves. At least no one bothered them or stared. The two had a feeling the commanders were actually doing what they were supposed to do. It was nice.

The room that had been made for them was much bigger than their last one had been, so Luffy could actually move around. There was also a mat of thick fabric laid out for Luffy to sleep on, since he clearly couldn't fit on the bed they were given.

_They're being really nice._

"Yeah. I wonder if it will last. Goodnight. If you wake up before me tomorrow, wake me up," Ace said, and switched off the lamp on the end table, making the room dark besides the moon light through the porthole.

Luffy fell asleep easily on the padded mat he could relax on, though he couldn't spread himself out completely.

-x-

Ace was right. Without Whitebeard or any commanders present, the offending behavior came back. But this time, Ace had a notepad, and if someone gets too close, he'd ask for their names and would write them down. He was so thankful Sabo was smart and had learned to read and write early so he could teach Ace.

"Captain's orders. If you have a problem, you can take it up with him," Ace said each time one of the pirates refused. "I can remember faces very well. You'll get in less trouble if you just give me your name."

He didn't care about the muttering curse words and insults made after they walked away from them. Ace also started making tally marks for whoever came back a second time. He used his powers to help him once someone snatched the list away from Ace while he was distracted.

The man didn't get far before Ace wrapped a ring of fire around him. "I wouldn't piss me off if I were you," Ace said dangerously. The flames wouldn't hurt the man, but it was a good tactic to intimidate.

The fire retreated back into Ace's hands as he reached out to take the notepad back. "What is your name?" Ace demanded. The pirate gave his name easily before sprinting away, and Ace underlined and made a note under his name.

When he walked back to Luffy, he'd been watching. "What? It got the note pad back. I wouldn't have actually burned him."

_So we can use our powers to make them stay away? _Luffy questioned. Ace shrugged.

"Why not? They're bugging us, might as well scare them away. Besides, some of the crew already know about lighting myself on fire or you making barriers, " Ace said nonchalantly. "Probably won't tattle since they'd be getting themselves in trouble as well. I don't know what Whitebeard is doing to punish them, but whatever it is is working. Anyone who got caught hasn't been back."

Luffy grew jagged spikes of ice around their area, making them long and razor sharp. No one could get through besides Ace and Luffy without getting injured. Whitebeard might be able, by stepping over them.

It was entertaining for Ace and Luffy to see the reactions to Luffy's wall of spikes. Apparently, no one thought Luffy had any offensive powers. Only the commanders had seen the ice walls Luffy made that first day. No one had seen his ice look like this before.

_Wouldn't it be kind of funny if I made the deck ice, and everyone fell on their butts? _Luffy asked with a smile.

"If anyone comes close to us, then hell yeah," Ace replied with a loud laugh. Then, a newspaper fell down on Ace's head. He wondered why the bird dropped it on him. He opened it and looked at the front page. For the last couple days, there had been a section of the paper that was dedicated to the news regarding the Mary Geious Massacre, which was it's now official title. It was catchy.

"Well, I didn't expect this. Says that a large number of government officials and Marines of all ranks have quit. And the Marines don't seem to be being charged of desertion. Hmm. Interesting. You think it's cause the government has collapsed, so no one wants anything to do with it?" Ace asked.

_Maybe they feel safer now quitting without the world government punishing them or something._

_That's a good guess. I'm surprised they even put it in the paper. Seems like ground zero is being inspected for any clues on who it was. Good things there were no footprints. They might have seen yours._ Ace was speaking in their heads now so no one would hear them referring to themselves as the "terrorists".

_The ice melted, too. Everything was burned to dust, though, so they don't have anything on our appearance._

_Thankfully. I wonder what Gramps is doing now, if he does know it was us. He hasn't said anything if it isn't in the paper. Plus, it'd be very hard to find us in the New World for now. Also, you were right about no pictures being taken of either of us for awhile. I don't think he even ever got a photo of you._

"Let's go give it to the others."

Luffy stretched out like a cat before they walked across the deck, Luffy dissolving the ice himself. Ace still had the notepad and pen in his back pocket. A lot of pirates that they passed didn't look at either of them. Maybe the world spread about the brothers' powers. Come to think of it, no one _but _the commanders even knew about Ace's fire power.

Had they scared away the annoying pirates? It was better than Luffy being the center of unwanted attention, to have everyone afraid of them. They walked to the galley, where a few of the commanders were talking at a table. They grew quiet when Ace and Luffy walked over, and handed them the news paper.

"A lot of things happening now," Ace said. He sat down at the table, but not too close to the others. He wanted to know what their reactions were. Izo thanked Ace for the paper and began to read the section that mattered most out loud.

The others had the same reactions as the brothers. Interest and wonder. What would happen next? If there were less Marines, would the Mary Geious Massacre be the second coming of what came from Gold Roger's death? Even more pirates than before? Well, they were strong pirates, so more crews being formed wouldn't harm them.


	7. A Bad Dream and Helpful Reassurances

* * *

**I just started posting a new story, Ace and Marco pairing. Check it out if you want. Regular readers know I love angsty dream ** **sequences** **, so here you go. Enjoy~**

* * *

By dinner time, everyone had heard of the newspaper's contents. Each and every pirate had the same questions. And the same feeling of excitement. What was going to happen next? Wouldn't bother them, they were already all wanted men. They were pirates, and though they had friends outside of the crew, they couldn't really give a shit about what was going on with the government.

Many of them also wanted to confront someone other than the brothers about their abilities. And how they had used them to threaten others. Surely Whitebeard wouldn't approve of that. However, Ace was right. If they went to talk to pops about it, they'd also be confessing why Ace had trapped someone in a ring of fire. And all of the pirates who got caught and spoke directly with pops came out not looking so good, but didn't tell anyone what went on.

Luffy's head suddenly snapped up and he got up to a standing position.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked in surprise. Luffy's tail flicked.

_I hear something coming from outside. _Whatever it was was _loud_. The ship rocked a little bit, causing food to fall on the ground off the ends of the long tables. Then, it seemed like Whitebeard noticed something was wrong, and Luffy sprinted after him as he hurried outside. It was still light out, not dark yet.

The rest of the crew hurriedly went outside to look at the area Luffy was staring at. _Ace! It sounds like a big wave._

"Luffy says a big wave is coming," Ace said nervously. No one else could see or hear it. Whitebeard grew very pale. He'd caused some, so he knew what a tsunami was and how huge they could be. Even their ship was dwarfed compared to some tsunami's the captain had created with his devil fruit.

"It's a tsunami. We can't stop something like that," Whitebeard said in a defeated face. What a stupid way to do. Even if he tried slamming a quake into it, it'd be too close by the time he could reach it with his powers.

"Luffy!" Ace shouted. The dragon pushed others away as he stood against the back railing. Ace was next to him, breathing heavily. Could Luffy stop it? The dragon leapt off of the ship and headed straight for the wave, going as fast as he could.

Others shouted in surprise as Luffy flew straight into the wave. "What?!" Marco cried out. Did the dragon just kill himself? Surely, it would drown if flying into it. The crew began to scream and run around like chickens with their heads cut off in panic.

Then, there was a massive cracking noise. It was terribly loud, and the commanders just watched with wide eyes as the ocean was covered in ice, the wave frozen, towering above them. The ice grew thicker and thicker as it flowed. The water was jagged while it froze.

Ace was the first to sigh out in relief. The others just looked shocked, the hundreds of pirates looking at the frozen wave. Then they saw Luffy come flying from behind the wave, seeming completely fine, like he hadn't plunged straight into a tsunami. He quickly landed next to Ace, who hugged him tightly.

"Good job, little brother," he said with a laugh.

_It was even bigger than freezing around Mary Geious. It shouldn't move again, I froze it out really far back. There were some more little waves. It's just gonna float around now. Like an iceberg._

The pirate started cheering. They were alive! "Luffy says it shouldn't move again since he froze it a while behind. Some other waves are frozen behind it. It's just gonna float around now, like an iceberg," Ace repeated for his brother.

_I would have gotten hurt if I didn't harden myself._

"Luffy, how are you alive?" Thatch asked in bewilderment. "Crashing into that would have hurt, and then you must've thrown around inside of it."

Luffy looked to Ace, wondering if he should show them his armor ability. Ace just shrugged in a "why not?" sort of way. Luffy stepped away from Ace and hardened his whole body into strong, but thin ice.

"Nothing can get through Luffy's ice. Only my fire can melt it. Nothing else can melt or break it," Ace said. Ace put his hand on Luffy's spine, lightly warming his hand enough that the ice dripped off of his dragon brother before it evaporated from the heat.

It was silent for a moment. "You guys are so cool," a pirate from somewhere in the crowd said, others agreeing. "So, you have a devil fruit, Ace?" someone else asked. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be with the brothers.

"I'll tell you if you all agree to stop harassing or staring at Luffy. And if you want to speak to him, don't do it through me," Ace said sternly. "He could freeze your feet to the ground and you'd never be able to move again unless one of us undoes it. Understand?" he said with a dark look. The others agreed. Now that they knew what both could do, they didn't want to piss them off. Not because they realized they were wrong, but because they didn't want to get hurt.

"I have the flame flame fruit," Ace said, with Luffy nodding next to him. The commanders looked at Ace strangely. They knew he had broken through sea stone cuffs easily. Was he really a devil fruit user? And still no one knew what exactly Ace and Luffy were to each other. Ace looked nothing like a dragon, while Luffy looked nothing like a human. Well, except his teeth.

Marco was dying to know what Ace was. He had stopped being pushy about it, because there was no way he'd get answers, and more importantly, become friends by bugging the teen about something he may not want or be comfortable explaining. Yet. The commanders and captain wanted to get the brothers comfortable enough with them that they felt they could share their secret.

"Can Luffy do other stuff? Besides freeze things and himself?" Izo asked curiously. Everyone was situated in different positions around the newbys.

Luffy nodded, and soon everyone who had been standing were slipping and sliding onto the frozen deck, falling in big heaps. Just as fast as it was there, the deck was back to normal. Then the dragons breathes out snow and sleet gently. It covered some of the pirates, but not too bad. He wasn't nearly as comfortable doing to others than he was to Shanks, which had just been strange.

"That's mostly it. He can build things, like ramps or boxes. We used ice boxes he made as children when we had food we wanted to preserve," Ace explained, leaning against Luffy, who had just laid down again.

"What about you, Ace? What can you do?" Ace smirked, and told them to not panic, until he covered all of them in bright fire. Some screamed, while others noticed it wasn't hot at all. They heard the crackling of the flames, but nothing was burned. The fire was sucked back into Ace's hands.

As Ace showed off his "devil fruit" powers, many of the crew realized they hadn't finished eating, only to remember the mess of the galley. When Ace was done explaining, Thatch spoke up, "Alright, storytime is over. Time for us to clean the mess of the galley," he said with a single clap of his hands.

Some groaned, having forgotten about that. But they all dutifully went into the galley and cleaned up the floor and tables, like a very well oiled machine. They cleaned together in harmony as a team, while Ace and Luffy sort of just watched, not knowing what they should help with. It was lucky much of the meal had already been eaten, so no one would starve and the mess wasn't as bad as it could have been.

When everyone was heading off to go to bed, the brothers were surprised when someone who always bothered them, walked up and apologized to both Ace and Luffy. He told them he wasn't apologizing because he got in trouble earlier, just that he really thought about it and wouldn't want to be treated how Luffy had been.

Ace and Luffy smiled at him gratefully, and accepted his apology. They grinned at each other and then headed off to bed.

-x-

_Ace sat with Luffy at the cliff where Sabo was buried. Ace was fifty, still looked twenty, here Luffy was forty four, and not looking too good. Gramps had told him dragons lived for thousands of years. Only a few decades had passed since Luffy's hatching, and he was already looking old._

_His eyes were hazy from gradual blindness setting in, he couldn't run or fly or do anything physically difficult, for he had trouble breathing afterwards. He could barely use any ice powers, and his once thick skin was thin and delicate._

_They both knew he was going to die soon. Since the dragon was too big to get into the treehouse, and the bandits were either very old, or had passed. But he and Luffy were able to continue living at the bandit's house, except the opened up a wall so Luffy could get inside._

I'm tried, Ace.

I know, Luffy. I'm tired, too_. _Let's go back home_, Ace said in his head, since Luffy was also having hearing difficulties._

_Ace and Luffy slowly walked through the forest, Luffy apologizing for his slowness, like he always did. The dragon didn't seem to realize that Ace didn't mind it being slow, or taking care of Luffy as he deteriorated further, because Ace had said he'd always protect his brother. No matter how old they both were, Luffy was still Ace's little brother, even though he was almost too big for the bandit's house. He had seemed to have his growth stunted in his early twenties like Ace had._

_That night, Ace sang Luffy a pirate song them and their crew used to sing, back when they had their own pirate crew. It had disbanded for the others' ages, and Luffy's problems. Ace forever stayed their young captain._

_Ace woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows. He turned to Luffy to wake him up when he noticed the room was quiet. The loud breathing that Luffy did now was gone. Luffy was relaxed next to him, his tongue lolled out of his mouth slightly._

"_Luffy?" Ace asked, patting Luffy's head. "Luffy?! No, no, wake up…" Ace sobbed. He opened Luffy's closed eye, and when it didn't move, Ace leaned forward and bashed his head into the floor. Now, he was completely alone. No Sabo, no crew, no Luffy. Luffy was supposed to outlive him, and now, Ace was the only brother left. He hoped Luffy was with Sabo now._

_Ace screamed in horrible pains in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "LUFFY!"_

Ace sat up in bed, breathing heavily. A dream… it was a horrific nightmare. He looked to the side to see Luffy sleeping peacefully, perfectly healthy and young. Tears formed in Ace's eyes, but he didn't want Luffy to worry, so he silently opened the bedroom door and closed it behind him, before he sprinted, barefoot, out onto the deck, and into the chilly night air.

He broke into sobs about the horrible dream. How Luffy got sick, how Ace woke up to him, dead beside him. He had never had such a horrible dream. Even after Sabo died and Ace had bad dreams about Sabo blaming him for his death. But for those, he had Luffy to cuddle with for comfort. With this dream, Luffy was dead. And there was no one to comfort him in that dream.

His heart was in so much turmoil and all he could hear were his sobs, he didn't notice when Marco came over in worry. Which of his brothers was sobbing his heart out? He was surprised to see Ace, who was either always grinning or always grumpy. Not this horrible, pained expression and body language, curled into a ball against the wall.

"Ace? You okay?" Marco asked in true concern. Ace stopped the sobs and furiously rubbed his eyes to try and get rid of the tears, but unable to get rid of the blotchy red spots on his face, visibly in the moonlight.

"I-it's nothing," Ace said quickly.

Any other time, Marco would have just left someone alone if they wanted, but Ace was out here for a reason. He didn't tell Luffy. And Luffy would have gone out with him unless he was asleep. _Bad dream, most likely._

"Did you have a nightmare? You can talk to me; I won't tell anyone, even Luffy if you don't want me to, yoi," Marco said gently, moving to sit next to the teen. But not too close. Ace stopped the sniffles as best as he could, but still hid his face from Marco by moving his hair forward to block his profile.

"It's stupid…" Ace mumbled.

"I doubt that, yoi," Marco replied, but not unkindly. He looked up at the sky, waiting for Ace to talk, because he knew he would.

"Luffy was old. He was going blind, and deteriorating, and couldn't hear me so we had to talk in our heads. I took care of him, since everyone else we knew was gone. I was still young like I'm supposed to, but Luffy was older. I woke up one day, and he ha-had… died next to me in his sleep," Ace said, the tears coming back. "We were supposed to live for centuries together. He's not supposed to die before me," Ace added in a wobbly voice, biting his lip to stop the tears. "I can't lose him."

Marco was right; it wasn't a stupid dream. He barely had time to process Ace saying he was supposed to live centuries before he knew he needed to comfort the teen. Ace clearly didn't mean to slip out the information he'd probably been hiding, so Marco wouldn't say anything about it.

He casually moved closer to the kid and put his arm around his shoulder. "It was just a dream. Luffy's perfectly fine and healthy. Even if he is a dragon, thirteen years old is nowhere near being elderly, yoi."

"I know… That's why it's stupid," Ace replied, voice finally under control. Marco still thought it wasn't stupid, but he wasn't going to force his (correct) opinion on Ace.

It was quiet for a minute. "I have had my share of bad dreams with pops dying. He's not young like you and Luffy. And he's already sick," Marco said in his bored voice, keeping it under control if he was going to talk about the prospect of his father passing.

"I-I'm sorry," Ace said, not sure how to reply. "I don't know what it feels like to have a dad, like Whitebeard is to you and your crew, so I can't really relate."

"We all know it will come someday. There's nothing more we can do about it. You don't just stop aging," Marco said. Now Ace _really _couldn't relate. His and Luffy's bodies will stop aging one day, and they won't have to worry about it or each other passing away of old age. Stupid dream.

"What was your father like?" Marco asked curiously. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. And I'm sorry for being pushy about it the first night," he added. Ace gave him a grateful smile, the red splotches finally faded, though there were still dried tears on Ace's lashes.

"Our father died before I was born and Luffy hatched. Don't know anything about him other than he was a pirate and got executed," Ace replied. He did know his father's name and who had was, but nothing about his personality. And he wouldn't share the knowledge of Gol D. Roger, since it would probably get Ace and Luffy into trouble if anyone bad found out.

"Can I ask how Luffy hatched? What was a baby dragon like?" Marco wondered, his bored, monotone voice gone for the moment. Ace looked away from him and up at the sky, remembering Luffy's hatching very clearly, and how happy he had been.

"Luffy hatched when I was six, even though technically we should be twins. I carried his egg around in a backpack all day, everywhere I went, because I didn't trust our 'guardians' to not sell him. I met Sabo, our brother, a year before Luffy hatched. When his egg was finally growing more, I stayed home and waited for him to finally come out. I could speak with him through the egg already, but nowhere near as clear as it is now.

"His tiny hand was first to come out, and me and Sabo watched as he came out the whole way. He was so small and cute, and happy to see me. He said he was waiting for a long time to see me, said he loved me, and coming from a household where I was just forced there so they wouldn't go to jail, it was something I'd never heard before.

"I was so happy he finally came, and I never left his side for a very long time. Well, except sometimes when Sabo would watch him if I went out. Since Sabo died, I've never left his side. And I never will," Ace finished, wearing a smile through the whole story. Marco smiled. It was a nice story, but he was sad about Ace and Luffy's brother being killed.

Marco was curious about Luffy hatching at a different time than Ace, who had grown up with the egg. Marco wished he knew more about dragons without prying and making Ace angry or uncomfortable.

Before Ace said anything, the door swung open that Ace had closed behind him loudly, and Luffy came out, running across the deck and to Ace and Marco.

_Why aren't you sleeping? _Luffy asked in concern.

"I just had to get some air and Marco came over and we've been talking about stuff," Ace replied. Before Luffy could sit down next to him, Ace got to his feet and hugged around the dragon's neck tightly. Luffy wrapped an arm around Ace's middle, keeping his other on the ground to have both of them on balance.

_What's wrong?_

"It's nothing. You don't have to worry," Ace replied out loud. "Let's go back to bed; there's still a while before we have to get up." Luffy nodded, and walked away from Marco, Ace turning back one more time to mouth 'thank you', with a genuine and warm smile. Marco gave a small smile back, before heading back up to the crows nest.

Everything he'd just heard amazed him. And left him with more questions. Why did Luffy hatch when Ace was six? And Ace said they were twins, which made them biologically siblings. How the hell would that happen? How was Ace born a baby and Luffy made at the same time, though in egg form.

And how old was Ace supposed to get? He said he was supposed to stay young, and the whole living for centuries just bewildered him. What was Ace, and what was Luffy? So many questions.

The man also had questions about Ace's home life. It didn't sound the best. After all, he was only raised in that household because his caretakers were forced into doing it. No wonder having Luffy made his life so much better.

Marco wouldn't share anything they'd talked about, or what Marco had learned, with anyone else. Not even the captain. That conversation was confidential between him and Ace, and no one needs to know that he had a nightmare, or anything he'd said to him.

He had to wonder if Ace only let slip some revealing things because he was emotional, or tired. Maybe both. He really hoped that this was a step in the right direction for Marco to get to know the brothers better, in more ways than one.

The rest of his watch, he pondered ridiculous things. Maybe Ace could turn into a dragon. Maybe Luffy would eat all of them one day. Maybe dragons were everywhere in the world, and no one knew about it. And how did Ace and Luffy get conceived. Which parent was the dragon? And how would a _dragon_ make a baby with a _human? _He wanted the answers!


	8. Caught Lying

* * *

**This part is actually the part of the story where I almost gave up. The story almost took a very different path, but I like how it ended up more this way. Enjoy~**

* * *

During breakfast the next day, Ace purposely sat next to Marco, near the end of the table, with Luffy sitting at the head, his own plate on the wooden surface. Usually, Luffy just ate off a plate on the ground, with his mouth.

Practically everyone was surprised when Luffy sat down and propped his arms against the edge of the table and picked up the fruits and vegetables with his hands. They hadn't really noticed the dragon had opposable thumbs, though they were relatively short compared to the rest of his fingers.

Ace paid no mind to it, making it clear this wasn't an unusual thing. Luffy just never had a reason to use his hands like this.

"Thank you for last night," Ace said quietly to Marco, with a slightly pink face.

"No problem," Marco replied. Luffy looked at Ace in an expression of confusion saying, _Did you lie to me?_

Ace looked slightly ashamed, and nodded his head. Luffy looked hurt, looking down at his food. _I had a bad dream that you died. And I was all alone. You and Sabo were both gone, and I had to live out centuries of being all alone. You got old, and sick, and I had to take care of you and you died right next to me in your sleep._

Ace had watery eyes as he confessed to Luffy. _I didn't want to make you sad or concerned. I went outside to cry, and Marco came over and helped me. _Luffy moved the few feet to Ace and hugged him with both front arms. Ace hugged him back, trying to stifle the sniffles.

_I also may have let slip some things that I shouldn't have. Hopefully he didn't notice them, or tell anyone else. _Luffy cocked his head in question, back to his food. _I accidentally said we were supposed to live for centuries together. And I told him a bunch of stuff about our relationship. He probably knows our dad was human, and mom was some sort of dragon. He's probably wondering how the hell a dragon and human can get it on and have kids. _Ace chuckled at that, and Luffy smiled in humor.

_Well, can't do anything about it now, right? _the dragon asked. Ace nodded, and they both returned back to their food, neither really knowing everyone was watching them, wondering why Ace suddenly became emotional. Marco just sighed at it, feeling bad for the teen. Whitebeard looked at his son curiously. If something happened, he wondered why Marco hadn't told him what yet. Usually he does it before breakfast if he had something to talk about or inform the captain of.

But Marco must have a reason. It made the captain very curious.

There was nothing new in the paper that day. It had been a little over a week since the whole ordeal happened. Things were going surprisingly slow. And, considering the paper said an obvious celebration was a riot, things were clearly better that the Marines wanted anyone to know.

The brothers wondered if the slaves got away. The plethora of fishman must have gone back into the ocean to Fishman Island, and they didn't know about the others. There was nothing in the paper, and surely they would like to put in it that they caught the slaves for questioning. They would prefer that not to happen, because the slaves might slip that there was a dragon. They didnt know if anyone would believe them, or if they would even talk out of thanks they were saved in the first place.

The two kept having to remind themselves that they were strong, and if their identities were revealed, they would still be able to fight off marines and idiotic bounty hunters. So, hearing nothing in the paper was kind of nerve wracking. It had _just _happened, so they expected a lot more to have happened already.

After everyone was finished with their meals, Izo practically kidnapped Ace to make him some new clothes, since Ace only had two pairs of shorts, both for wearing during the day. Ace slept in his boxers now that they had a room. When he went out to meet up with Marco the night before, Ace had put shorts on, just to be safe in case someone was out there already and it might be inappropriate to walk around deck only in his underwear.

Ace told Izo he didn't want any shirts, because he wouldn't wear them anyways. "Why don't you wear any shirts in the first place?" Izo asked as he measured Ace's waist, even though Ace insisted that there was probably a tag on the shorts, though it would be quite old. But Izo said he wanted his clothes to fit perfectly.

"There's no reason to. My devil fruit is fire, so I can't get too hot or too cold. Plus, I like how it feels to not have a shirt on. I hope that's not a problem, because I won't be wearing any shirts regardless," Ace said with a humorous smirk. Izo huffed.

"I don't think anyone has a problem with it. I'm sure at least some of the crew think you're hot for it," the crossdresser said conversationally. Ace blushed.

"Probably you, since the first day you told Marco I was cute and my freckles were to die for," Ace replied in a bored voice. "Pervert, I'm only nineteen." Izo pursed his lips, clearly irritated he was heard. "I have Luffy. He has great hearing, so of course he heard you."

They could both hear Luffy's laughing outside the door of the small room that Luffy was too big for. Izo huffed. "I'm not a pervert just because I said you were cute. Clearly you've never heard someone say that if it embarrassed you that much," the man teased. Ace frowned. "I was _right_. No cute girls giggling about your sculpted body and endearing freckles?" Ace was silent, so Izo took that as a confirmation.

"Well, considering I've never actually talked to a woman besides ordering food, asking directions or trying to convince me to murder someone, no." Izo looked shocked at him.

"Well, we'll need to fix that now won't we? You've talked to the nurses, but that's not _talk _talking."

"What do you mean 'fix that'? Me and Luffy will probably leave here soon anyways, and I have no desire to go into a town," Ace replied heatedly. Izo smirked at him with a knowing expression.

"If you say so." Ace didnt know which part of his reply was answered by that.

When Ace left the room, his face still felt hot, which he wasn't used to. Luffy looked at him sympathetically. "I don't wanna talk about it," Ace grumbled. Luffy just gave him a smile, not offended. After all, Luffy had heard the whole thing and didn't need to be filled in.

-x-

The commanders sat in the meeting room with the captain, making the plan about what was gonna happen when they reached the next island tomorrow. It was the New World, and though they have sailed to many of the islands, there was no way they could reach any of them twice.

The island is apparently supposed to be a summer island, without any settlements. It was uninhabited, which meant they'd have to collect and hunt their own supplies. The plan was pretty much the same as always. The crew would take turns for who got to hunt and who was on the ship. Usually, those who were off turned it into a competition, which meant more produce and meat.

Ace and Luffy weren't part of the crew officially, and they had a feeling Luffy would want to stretch his wings, since he'd been confined on a ship for over a week. It may be a big ship, but it wasn't as big as the forest he had grown up in. Ace had talked about it once at dinner.

"Hey, pops? Do you think Ace and Luffy will actually leave?" Izo asked suddenly, sounding a bit down.

"They may, or they may not. It's their choice, but I think we'll have them for awhile, even if they just see us as protection after what they've done. Why?" Whitebeard asked, though he knew why Izo was sad about it. He'd been approached by a few of the commanders already about the subject, for Ace and Luffy were fun to be around, even if it was just to make Ace blush, which was strange as he shouldn't have any blood in his body.

"I really like them. Ace is good with sarcasm and both of them are adorable. I think they'd make a great addition to the family," Izo explained. Plus, they all wanted to solve the mystery that was the brothers.

Whitebeard smiled. "I think most are feeling that way. But, regardless of what _we _want, we're not going to trap them here or shackle them in any way. Just like I would never trap someone who wouldn't want to be here, they aren't officially in the crew. They do listen to our orders when they matter, which is nice, but they still aren't part of the family. I think they act like they are, but they might not even notice it.

"There is also the factor that Luffy might feel trapped here. There's rarely anywhere to dock, and definitely not on a regular basis. He might want to go somewhere bigger, and not so confined," Whitebeard explained.

Thatch sighed. "I hope they stay, too. No one has been so enthusiastic about my food in awhile, and they're fun to be around." He looked sad.

Marco agreed with them, but didn't voice it. Haruta also seemed saddened that the brothers would probably leave some day. Ace was good at cards, once he was taught how to play, and more than once, he'd won some money off of everyone. Though some suspected Luffy could see the cards and secretly told Ace how to win.

"Well, we will just have to see," the captain said finally.

-x-

"So we can go wherever we want?" Ace asked Marco in surprise. Though the brothers weren't technically part of the crew, they had assumed they'd have to help in some way, even if they didn't want to.

"Yes. Luffy must want to get off the ship and go somewhere. It's been two weeks and he hasn't been able to fly anywhere, yoi," Marco explained. Luffy grinned, sharing an excited look with Ace.

_We can go swimming! _Luffy cheered. Ace grinned. Sounded like a good plan.

"Thanks, Marco. Well, we're gonna go explore," Ace said before he immediately got on Luffy's back, though there was no harness right now. Marco waved them off as Luffy went speeding inland, making a happy, deep groaning noise.

"The rest of you, do your jobs. Good luck, yoi," Marco said and went back to the ship. The commanders would also be hunting and scavenging. Just because they were ranked higher didn't mean they weren't allowed to let loose sometimes.

-x-

Luffy crash landed into a small lake, causing massive waves to crash across the shores. They both grinned as they surfaced, Ace laughing as he pushed Luffy under the water, who flipped them over until Ace was stuck under the water. They both knew Ace could hold his breath for a long time, which was why they could go exploring into the deeper parts of the water, as Luffy could also hold his breath.

He may not be a water dragon (if those existed), but it didn't mean he couldn't have fun in it. It had been a long time since they could just swim and goof off.

When they dived, they went deeper and deeper into the lake, following the grooves in the rocks as they lead deeper.

_Underwater caves? _Luffy asked excitedly as he swam down, his wings flat against his back. Ace shrugged, and once it was too deep to be seen clearly, he lit his hand on fire, though underwater, the flames didn't leave his skin. It just made a type of torch.

Exotic fish swam around them, some coming to inspect the two. A few otters came to play with them, before they didnt want to go any deeper and then went to the surface to play with each other.

They came across little creatures on the lake bottom, before they entered a large cavern. The walls were tight, but just big enough for Luffy to fit through. When they followed the caves, underwater six minutes now, they found a room of some sort. There was some air in it, and a single ray of sunlight came from the tall ceiling. It was very pretty.

"Wow. This is beautiful," Ace said, looking at the slightly glowing shore. It was cool on the inside, but the chill didn't bother either brothers. "I wish we had a camera."

_I think Haruta would like coming in here, but they he'd know you weren't a devil fruit user, _Luffy said as he made an ice ramp up to the top of the ceiling and looked out of the little hole.

"Yeah," Ace sighed.

_I bet Sabo would have liked it here,_ Luffy said happily. They missed him, but it had been so long that, whenever they brought the lost brother up, they could wear smiles while doing so.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't be able to hold his breath long enough to come here," Ace pointed out as he followed up Luffy's ramp. _Good point. _Luffy made an icicle and handed it to Ace. _Draw stuff with it,_ Luffy said, as he formed decorations to hang down from the ceiling.

Ace drew with the unbreakable ice stick on the walls, drawing crude pictures of Luffy. He wasn't the best artist. He carved their names into the walls. They both had a fun time, and by the time they got bored, there were ugly murals on the walls, with chandelier-like decorations hanging from the ceiling of the cavern.

"Ready to go back up?" Ace asked, getting an agreement from Luffy.

_I thought New World islands weren't supposed to be this calm, _Luffy wondered as they swam back out of the caves, taking more time to look at the marinelife residing in the deep grooves.

_Guess we're lucky. I didn't really want to go on a super dangerous island, even if we would be fine. _Luffy agreed. They had been under eleven minutes before both needed some air. They raced each other to the surface, both gasping for air once they breached the surface.

"That was really cool," Ace said as he tread water, steadily approaching the playful otters. They swam away from him when he got too close, but then came back. One of them swam to Luffy and crawled onto the top of Luffy's head. The dragon just giggled.

They both laughed as more and more otters came, some going away to lay on their backs while holding hands. It was adorable. Ace wanted to keep one.

_I missed the animals,_ Luffy said as he chased the otter around.

"I missed water. Can't even take a bath on the ship, even though its so big and warm, and _you _can," Ace grumbled, still playing with the otters, who were very happy to spend some time with the unknown creatures.

_Devil fruit users can't swim. You're supposed to be one, so even going in the bath is supposed to drown you, _Luffy said.

Ace sighed. "I know. It's just inconvenient. I feel bad for Marco, Whitebeard and Jozu. At least I won't drown if I fall in the ocean."

_Do you think we'll ever tell any of them? _Luffy wondered, laying on his back now, floating on the surface and looking at the sky.

"Well, I sorta already said some stuff to Marco. I'm surprised he hasn't told anyone. I don't know about the rest. Probably think we're monsters or something," Ace replied.

_I'm already a monster, _Luffy mentioned casually. Ace swam over and sat on Luffy's stomach.

"You're my monster," the teen said with a grin. Luffy grinned back before grabbing Ace and flattening him to his chest with all four legs, rolling them in circles in the water. Ace sputtered and tried getting away from Luffy.

"You're - gonna - make - me - sick!" Ace cried, his head spinning once Luffy let him go. He glared at his brother. "Jerk!" Luffy just laughed and swam back under, Ace chasing him deeper.

Neither of them knew someone was watching them. Someone very confused and very angry.

-x-

Haruta had gone quite far into the forest, tripping over vines, but enjoying watching the monkeys play above him. It had been a long time since they'd come to an island as peaceful and _normal _as this one. So far. There might be monsters somewhere they just hadn't met yet.

He looked surprised when he heard splashing, chatter, and laughter. He hurried towards the sound before it went quiet. He came across a very beautiful cove, the water rippling and bubbles coming up from deeper. He could have sworn he heard voices over here.

The commander was about to leave before he saw boots and black shorts, along with an orange hat. Ace's clothes. What were they doing out here? He was sure that Ace would drown if he went swimming. He assumed Luffy was somehow helping Ace swim deeper, since the dragon wasn't a devil fruit user.

He'd wait for them to come up. Over twenty minutes passed, and he was about to just leave and ask Ace about it later, before he heard gasps of air as the surface of the water turned into big ripples.

"That was really cool," Ace said, treading the water just fine. Haruta stepped into the shadows of the trees, watching in bewilderment while Ace and Luffy swam around, playing with otters. They roughhoused with each other. Ace was clearly swimming without the aid of his brother.

Haruta now wore a scowl. Ace wasn't a devil fruit user! He was lying to them! But he stayed, watching the two play and talk.

"I missed water. Can't even take a bath on the ship, even though its so big and warm, and _you _can," Ace grumbled loudly, swimming around and relaxing. Luffy must have said something in their heads since Ace said, "I know. It's just inconvenient. I feel bad for Marco, Whitebeard and Jozu. At least I won't drown if I fall in the ocean."

Haruta's scowled deepened. He was very offended that the brothers had been blatantly lying to everyone. What else were they keeping secret or lying about?

"Well, I sorta already said some stuff to Marco. I'm surprised he hasn't told anyone. I don't know about the rest. Probably think we're monsters or something," Ace replied to whatever Luffy had said. Haruta really wished he could hear what the dragon was saying.

And Marco knew something he wasn't telling them about? Was everyone lying?!

"You're my monster," Ace said, before he was tackled and spun around, shouting about being sick. When Luffy dived back down, Ace laughed and followed. Haruta practically snarled, and went stomping through the forest and back to the ship. A meeting would commence immediately.


	9. Accidentally Assimilating

**Kurosaki Shiro: Don't worry! **

**Moonstone_Kat: Aww, thank you! That comment made my day. I'm glad you like my story! It's a very long one so I hope you stick with it, even when things get a little dark. I hope by the end of the show/manga the Celestial Dragons are dead or lost their status due to some change in the World Government. I'm not gonna spoil the ending about what happens with the Whitebeard Pirates, but don't worry, it's not a sad ending and I don't kill off the main characters like I did with Sabo (I'm sorry! I had to).**

**Samster7241: I almost made that a turning point in the story that ruined everything, but I just couldn't turn this into an ultimate angst-fest. **

* * *

**Longer chapter this time! I actually got stumped on this chapter for over a month. We're around halfway through the story, including part 1. Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace dried himself by turning into fire and evaporating all of the water off his skin. Luffy covered himself in ice and then shed it so he wasn't wet anymore either. It was getting later, and both were tired from swimming.

Ace climbed onto Luffy and they flew around the island a couple times to take in the sights. "We shoulda gone to that waterfall," Ace pointed out. Luffy nodded. If they ever came back, they'd go to that spot.

Easily finding an animal, Luffy killed a tiger and brought it back to the ship, wanting to at least be of some help.

When they reached the ship again, they could both see the massive pile of produce and dead animals, and they added their game to the pile. They'd have enough food to last for awhile, though the two didn't know if it'd last until the next island. Luffy snuck a pear from the pile on their way back to the ramp.

They didn't see any of the commanders, which was a bit strange. Usually they were there to help the others bring the food back up. Luffy knew what Ace was thinking because he was thinking the same thing. _Maybe they're in a meeting?_

"Maybe. Let's go back to our room. I want to put my hat away," Ace replied, while both of them walked into the ship and towards their room. They passed the galley, and smelled no food, meaning Thatch wasn't already preparing dinner. Most likely a meeting.

-x-

"Pops, I want a meeting right now. Before Ace and Luffy come back," Haruta said, clearly very angry. Whitebeard wondered what had happened, but nodded and the two gathered the other commanders. They wondered what had happened. Haruta was rarely angry, and had never called an impromptu meeting.

When they were all in the meeting room, the door closed, no one had to ask Haruta to speak before he said, "Ace and Luffy have been lying to us this whole time." This caught everyones' attention, so no one noticed the wary and uncomfortable look the captain and first mate shared.

"What happened? What do you mean?" Rayuko asked.

"Ace has said he has a devil fruit. I just saw him swimming with Luffy," Haruta grumbled. Whitebeard and Marco visibly relaxed. They thought it would be something much bigger. They didn't know what they were expecting, just something not like this, which many of the crew already suspected.

"I already suspected," Whitebeard said, followed by many "me too"s or nods. "I think it became clear to many of us when he easily got out of the seastone cuffs." Haruta didn't like this answer.

"But, they've been lying to us! I heard Ace, he said he was pretending, and thought it would suck for the actual devil fruit eaters. He also said -" the captain put his hand up.

"So, not only did you see them swimming, but you stayed long enough to eavesdrop?" the man asked in slight disappointment. Despite being a big family on a confined space, privacy was taken seriously on the ship. Haruta blushed and nodded. "And then, you told others what they'd said in confidence?" Harauta seemed to get the jist of what his pops was trying to get across.

"That is a very big breach of trust and privacy, son. Just be thankful that Ace and Luffy don't know about that. Just because we are all curious, doesn't mean we have the right to butt in on them, or speculate about things that have nothing to do with us. They most likely have a good reason for keeping the truth from us. We must respect that. Do not spread anything they said or we have said in this room to anyone else," the man finished. Haruta looked bummed and slightly ashamed.

Thatch looked slightly disappointed with Haruta, agreeing with pops. Marco looked relieved. He didn't want Ace especially to know about this, and didn't want any of the others to know anything more than he and Luffy wanted them to know. Marco was curious, of course, but he wouldn't breach the brothers' privacy.

Marco had suspected Ace wasn't a devil fruit user when he broke through the cuffs that first night. There was no explaining that other than him not having a devil fruit. No devil fruit user could resist sea stone, including the captain, though he hadn't run into it for a long time.

"I don't want anyone spreading around or confronting the brothers about anything that has been heard in here," Whitebeard said seriously. Everyone nodded, though Haruta was still miffed about Ace and Luffy keeping secrets. And Marco, too.

"Wait! Marco, do you know something about them that we don't?" Haruta asked, trying not to sound accusatory. Marco gave him a blank look, his usual bored expression. But he never lied. So he told the truth.

"Yes. But I won't be telling anyone else. Not even pops. It was a private conversation, and _I _for one won't be spreading it around," the first mate said in a flat voice, but also came across as a final reprimand. Haruta frowned, and then everyone dispersed, Thatch going to start dinner.

It was when the commanders went out onto deck to help with the directing of the produce and meat being stored that Luffy and Ace came back, both looking to be in a very good mood. Luffy even brought a tiger carcass to add to the pile of dead animals to be skinned and preserved.

"We brought some meat back with us," Ace told Izo when he came out. Izo nodded and then frowned at Ace. His shorts had quite a lot of dirt and some mud on them, as did his boots. "What?" he asked with a frown. Luffy sat next to Ace, wondering what the problem was.

"Go change into other shorts so we can wash these filthy ones," Izo said seriously. Ace huffed, and then said, "fine", and walked inside. The commander inspected Luffy, too, but he had no mud on his feet to track around.

-x-

Ace and Luffy noticed something confusing as the day went on and stretched into evening and night. Some of the commanders were acting cold towards them. Even if they didn't say anything mean, many of them would give him dirty looks. Luffy didn't hear anything to explain this, though.

His brother seemed hurt by the looks he was being given, but didnt say anything to anyone about it besides Luffy. They didn't sit at the commanders table for dinner, but went back to their corner to eat together on the hardwood floor.

Ace didn't make eye contact with anyone else, while Luffy glared back when the handful of commanders sent them nasty looks.

Eating wasn't enjoyable. It just made them feel exposed down there, even if many of the pirates couldn't see them. They ate relatively quickly, before leaving the galley and going back outside. It was cool, but it felt nice to the two. Ace was wearing his sleep shorts so Izo could have his shorts washed.

_Why do you think they're glaring at us?_ Ace asked. Luffy shrugged one shoulder as they sat at the very back of the deck, Luffy laying down while Ace reclined against his side. _Y-you don't think they've found out, yet, do you? _Ace sounded panicky.

Luffy frowned deeply. _I don't know, but I don't like it. _Luffy yawned widely, exposing his sharp canines that could surely kill a human in seconds if wanted.

"Are you tired?" Ace asked aloud. Luffy nodded. "Wanna go back to our bigger room?" The dragon nodded again and they both got up to walk back to their room to go to bed. They passed some pirates on their way, and walked past Haruta, who gave them a dirty look. Ace's face fell.

Luffy snarled at him loudly, making the commander flinch in shock. For the first time since meeting him, Luffy looked scary. Exposing his sharp teeth from the tip to root as his lips raised. The sound was loud and startling. Ace frowned down at him before looking away in to the side where Haruta wasn't standing.

Luffy's tail flicked threateningly at Haruta, hitting the wall right above his head with some force, though it didn't leave any damage.

When Luffy and Ace reached their room, Ace shut the door and locked it. "You didn't need to get angry for me," he said as he walked to the bed. Luffy plopped down onto his mat with a huff.

_No one makes Ace sad in front of me._

It had been a long time since Ace had heard Luffy address him like that, using his name instead of "you". It was always when he was upset or feeling protective, though he hadn't felt that way in a very long time, as Ace could definitely take care of himself.

Ace smiled warmly at his brother. "Thanks, Lu. Goodnight," he said and turned off the bedside lamp, darkening the room until only some moonlight made its way through the porthole. They both fell asleep quickly, even though they had sad or angry thoughts about the pirates' sudden rude treatment.

-x-

Haruta walked back into the galley with wide, fearful eyes. He had forgotten that Luffy was a dragon. He was just so kind and calm all of the time, that it still didn't click that the dragon could easily kill him if he wanted to. Use his talons, or sharp teeth, or freeze him to death or impale him with spikes.

Being reminded of that had startled and _frightened_ him. Haruta had seen what had happened before the threatening action. He had glared at Ace, and the teen's face had turned sad. Then Luffy had snarled at him. He felt guilty, and honestly hadn't really noticed his face was showing what he was feeling about Ace flat out lying to all of them.

Marco, who was still in the galley talking with Whitebeard about the log pose and the island sit was pointing to. He looked up to see a pale Haruta.

"What's wrong, yoi?" he asked in concern. Haruta licked his lips.

"Luffy just snarled at me," he said. When the other two looked alarmed and confused (was Luffy going to snap and act like how everyone thought a dragon would?), Haruta clarified. "It's because I upset Ace, and now I feel bad."

Whitebeard frowned. "What did you do?"

Haruta sat down at the table with a heavy sigh. "I didn't notice it, but I've been looking at him angrily. Them lying just really upset me. I know it's not my business, but friends don't lie."

"Haruta, they've only been here a week. I think that they've been quite truthful considering that fact. But, whatever they're hiding, it is for a good reason. I know that," Marco said sternly. Haruta sighed, knowing that he was right. It was just that the ship's crew were all quite honest. Having someone keeping big secrets on the ship was just… unnatural feeling.

"I know…"

"It's late tonight, but why don't you apologize tomorrow?" Whitebeard offered. "Then after that we can have a real feast for Teach's group to come back. He's almost here."

Haruta grinned. "That's great! And I will apologize tomorrow for sure."

-x-

The next morning, Luffy and Ace walked into the galley early, right when breakfast was served, and took the plates of food outside. Neither really wanted to be glared at right at breakfast. For Luffy, he was given a bag to carry that was full of fruits and vegetables while Ace had plates of other breakfast foods.

No one bugged them as they ate, since everyone was going to eat themselves and not come outside.

_Do you think I really messed up when I got mad at Haruta? _Luffy asked in concern. Would that get him and Ace kicked off? It showed that Luffy really could be dangerous. He was a dragon after all. Plus, Ace could burn the whole ship down if he became angry, and he nor Luffy would be affected.

"I don't know. Guess we'll find out, huh?" Ace replied, stroking Luffy's forehead. "But you only did it because I was upset, right?" Luffy nodded, chewing on a watermelon.

His head perked up when he heard a noise from behind the ship. "What is it?" Ace asked when Luffy stood up and walked the few yards to the railing.

_A boat is coming. Do you think we should tell someone? _Luffy wondered, his tail flicking. Were they bad guys? He didn't feel like fighting this early in the morning. Then they both saw it had a small black flag on the mast, Whitebeard's mark.

Ace stood next to Luffy and watched the ship get closer, and looked to the side in surprise when Luffy pulled his hand up and scratched at his snout. "What's wrong?" Ace asked in confusion.

_Someone on that boat smells really bad. _Ace laughed. He looked back to the boat after Luffy wandered away a bit, and saw that there was one big guy on it. Bigger than the others. Just this guy's appearance looked smelly.

_Luffy, is it the big guy?_

Luffy came back but couldn't tell yet. He scratched at his nose some more before trailing away. Ace followed, and went to tell someone that a boat was approaching. He picked up his empty plates and Luffy's bag to bring back to the kitchen.

On his way, they both ran into Haruta. Ace didn't even look at him while Luffy glared. "Ace," Haruta said, stopping them. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I must've seemed really mean." Ace turned to him.

"Then why were you looking at us like that?" he asked. Luffy watched closely, wondering what Haruta's answer would be, while observing his face. He could tell if Haruta was lying. He was very expressive.

Haruta didnt answer for a long few seconds. That pause was telling. "Just tell us the truth," Ace said.

"I just feel like you lie to us sometimes. And we don't lie to each other on this ship. I know it's none of my business, and wanting to know more about you two is invasive and rude. And I'm sorry," he said honestly, looking worried about how Ace and Luffy would react.

He was startled when Ace smiled. "Thank you for telling us the truth. We won't be telling anyone anything we're hiding for awhile, and don't pry, but thanks for being honest. Really, if you had lied we would have been angrier." Haruta looked shocked with the reply, but then grinned.

"And some people on a boat are heading here. Just thought you should know. And tell them to take a shower please, apparently they smell very bad to Luffy," Ace finished before walking back down the hall. Luffy still stared at Haruta for a second before smiling in his own way. It still lifted his lips to show his teeth, but it was completely different from the snarl.

"Thanks for telling me," Haruta said and went the way Ace and Luffy had come. Both of them had smiles on when they walked back into the galley to put their plates away.

_I'm glad he told the truth. I was ready for some sort of lie, _Luffy said. Ace nodded in agreement. _Maybe we should stop seeing them as nosy, but annoyingly curious. And we'll just tell them directly that we're keeping secrets. Then there's no confusion or accusation if they do find out and we tell them._

"I think that's a good idea," Ace replied aloud. They walked to the table that still had commanders at it. They all clearly wondered where the brothers had been for breakfast.

"Just to tell all of you so there's no confusion or accusations later, me and Luffy _are _keeping secrets that we don't want others to know or pry about," Ace said simply. The pirates looked at them in mild shock and curiosity. "Haruta talked to us. We know you all are curious, but that's our business and we'll tell you if and when we are comfortable enough to. And some guys are already here on a boat."

Whitebeard laughed his strange laugh. "Well, I'm glad there's no hostility for their curiosity. We have talked about it, and are doing our best not to be nosy or offending. I think you both understand how curious a dragon and human brothers are. Please don't take offense with them." Ace grinned. He really was glad that the pirates were being open with the two.

"Thanks, we'll try not to. What should we do about Luffy? Do they already know about him?" Ace asked. They might all freak out and be surprised by the sight of a _live dragon._ They had both been at a distance, so didn't think that those on the returning boat had gotten a good look at Luffy.

"We'll tell them over a meal. Rather let them relax a little bit before letting them know, y'know," Thatch said.

"Letting them know a monster is here?" Ace offered. Thatch nodded. Luffy huffed and looked away.

Luffy and Ace went back to their room until dinner time so the returning crew members could get more comfortable. He didn't know that some of them already knew something new was there from their haki. Luffy gave off a strong vibe.

All the two did for the next couple of hours was nap, or Ace went and stole books from the library since they couldn't go outside to play or relax. Luffy wasn't happy about being trapped in one room again. But, Ace convinced him that it really only was for a few hours.

Luffy and Ace arrived to dinner early, in case the new pirates freaked out, it wouldn't interrupt dinner in full swing. The two walked to the counter, Ace taking his six plates of food and Luffy getting his bag of produce and slabs of meat, and went back to sit in their area and eat, watching the returning pirates.

Whitebeard had apparently talked to them already, so now it was only seeing the two for the first time. It was watered down by the knowledge that they were there, and it wasn't a surprise. Teach, the leader of the mission they'd returned from, came over to them first. Luffy was thankful he didn't smell bad like before, because he now knew the smell had been this man. He was very big. Not as big as Luffy, but much larger than Ace or the normal sized humans.

"I'm Teach, nice to meet you," he introduced himself politely. Luffy's eyes narrowed at the glint in Teach's eyes, like he'd found a good treasure, but the look was gone so quickly and replaced with a big smile that he was sure he'd imagined it. He did not have a nice smile. The brothers both wondered what on earth had happened to his teeth.

"I'm Ace, this is Luffy. Pleased to meet you, too. And FYI, to not cause problems, Luffy is a person, and not an animal, so no touching him without permission," Ace said sternly, a hard look on his face.

"Zehahaha! Got it. Don't worry, I won't treat him badly," Teach said, sounding sincere, and walked back to his table to eat Thatch's delicious food. The others who had just returned introduced themselves, though much more nervously, and were all quite forgettable. Most of those one this ship were forgettable and really the brothers only remembered the important peoples' names.

The returners, though, trusted Whitebeard's judgement that these brothers wouldn't hurt anyone and that the dragon wasn't vicious. Teach watched them while they ate, but that could be explained by the fact that both of them ate like their stomachs were bottomless pits. Luffy ate tons and tons of fruits and full slabs of meat, that they wondered how the crew hadn't run out of food faster.

Though, they had gotten quite a bit of game and produce on the island from the day before. They had already left and were nearing another island already. It was strange how two islands in the New World could be so close.

Thatch approached the brothers after dinner, and asked, "Luffy, can we use your powers for something?" Luffy looked interested and followed Thatch to the storage room, which was full of food and non-perishables. There were also bags of cut meat forced into the two freezers, but it was way too much. "Can you make an ice chest for us, Luffy? There's not enough room in our freezers."

Luffy nodded and a huge box of ice formed from the ground up in front of him. Thatch touched it; it was freezing. He grinned and distributed the excess meat from the normal freezers, to Luffy's. "Thanks! And it will never melt?" Thatch asked in amazement. When Luffy and Ace nodded he exclaimed that it was so cool. Luffy smiled.

"Ace, can your flames last forever?" the man questioned excitedly.

"If you all had a fire place I could light it and the flame would never go out. I could make it so it doesn't burn anything else, too," Ace replied.

"YOU GUYS ARE SO COOL!" Thatch shouted, startling the brothers. They wondered how Thatch would react to Ace not being human, practically invincible and immortal, and Gol D. Roger's son. Well, both of them were his son, but Ace was the one related to his human side, while Luffy was mostly their mother's side.

"Uh, thanks," Ace said, Thatch still beaming. "No, really, you guys are super cool and interesting. I hope you share more stuff with us some day."

Neither brother took offense with this. He wasn't pushy or invasive, just admitted he wanted to know more. "Well, don't get your hopes up too high, Thatch. It might not be that interesting to you."

Thatch looked surprised. "There's no way that more stuff wouldn't be interesting. Well, it's pretty late, and I'm on watch, so I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast."

"Okay, night," Ace said.

"'Night Ace, Luffy," Thatch replied and walked away briskly.

_Thatch is my favorite._

"I think so, too."

Luffy and Ace didn't see someone watching Luffy with a predatory expression. If they did, Teach wouldn't be very happy with how Ace would react. No one looks at his brother in such a way; no one ever has.

-x-

"There's finally something more in the newspaper about the Mary Geoise Massacre. You'd think there would be something in the paper every day," Rayuko said at the commander's table in the morning during breakfast. Luffy heard this and walked over with Ace to see what had been in the paper.

After all, it meant the most to them, as they were the culprits. "What's it say?" Ace asked.

Rayuko didn't look surprised with their arrival. "The Red Line is being heavily trafficked. Apparently, no one is allowed through. Even Marine vessels are going through vigorous searches before going over to the New World. Pirates are either trapped at Fishman Island or unable to go there safely with all of the Marines stationed near Sabaody.

"Also, what's left of the World Government are thinking of rebuilding Mary Geoise, even though there have been no reports of any surviving Celestial Dragons. It's a real mess for the World Government and Marines."

There were some cheers about it, raising their glasses of water or juice, since it was too early to drink. The fifteen pirates that had arrived the day before hadn't heard about it, and were extremely happy with whoever had the insane courage to sneak into the holy land and commit genocide.

Ace and Luffy didn't like the cheers. They were glad they guessed about not everyone being angry or upset, but they just did it for revenge, not fun. But, they could never correct anyone without giving away the fact that it was them.

However, this meant they definitely couldn't leave the ship for awhile if even the top of the Red Line was being watched. They could always fly over the calm belt. That was an option, but he was sure they would have a lot of trouble getting back home through the calm belts. And New World log poses didn't work like that most likely. The plan was to just retrace their steps through the Grand Line and back home.

But they would definitely need to wait awhile. The commanders looked to them, but Ace just awkwardly smiled. "Guess we'll be here awhile," he said, just loud enough for those near to hear, which were those who already knew.

Haruta, Izo and some others all grinned, glad the brothers would be with them for longer.

-x-

After lunch, the brothers were asked to show off their powers to the new comers. For some reason, Luffy didn't want to show his. Something about this group made him not want to. He couldn't explain it. Ace showed all of his, but Luffy didn't show that he could turn anything to ice even from a distance. Though, no doubt the pirates had been told about the tsunami Luffy had nullified.

So, Luffy showed his other powers besides creating ice. _You okay? _Ace wondered when Luffy didn't show some of his abilities.

_I don't trust these ones. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about them. Or, one of them. I just can't tell…_ Luffy replied, earning a frown on Ace's face as he looked at those he barely recognized. They looked normal enough, but he trusted Luffy's gut.

After that, Haruta ran up to Ace and Luffy, and looked around to see no one listening. "Hey, Ace you wanna help me with a prank on Thatch?" he asked quietly and with a mischievous grin. Ace's eyebrows furrowed.

"What kind of prank?" he wondered. "Will Luffy be able to take part?"

"Yup!"

Ace and Luffy smiled. "What is the prank?"

-x-

Ace did an easy handstand on Luffy's back. Ace was barefoot and had baby powder on his feet, walking his feet along the ceiling outside of Thatch's room. It was 3 AM, with Ace, Luffy and Haruta all being as quiet as possible.

The footprints lead from the railing outside to the inner halls and then walked along the ceiling and then down Thatch's bedroom door, where the footprints stopped. The three had already used two full bottles of baby powder.

Haruta had a giant smile on his face the whole time as he puffed an X on the door, with a piece of paper saying, _Go to the library. Adventures of the Whale._ Ace cleaned off his feet and got back onto the floor. Luffy hurried quietly to the library, and stationed himself behind the closed door.

It was a mean prank, meant to scare Thatch. But at least it wasn't Ace or Luffy's idea. Haruta was to blame, they were just playing along. Haruta said that Thatch woke up at four in the morning to start cooking. So, they didn't have to wait long. Haruta and Ace hid in a storage cupboard in the hallway the library was at.

Haruta had set up baby transponder snails on the ceilings, though not where the footprints were. So, even if they couldn't see it first hand, they'd get to see later. Both of them had trouble keeping quiet, hoping the prank would work.

Thatch opened his bedroom door to see a pair of footprints right in front of his door. He was already freaking out, and slowly, after a moment of steeling himself, stepped into the hall and picked up the piece of paper next to the door. Then he looked up and make an unmanly "eep!" when he saw the footprints were along the ceiling. He was sweating heavily.

He honestly didn't want to go to the library, but he was a commander, damnit! It shouldn't matter her had a fear of anything paranormal. He had to be brave, and quickly walked down the hall and to the closed door, which had an X on it. He stood in front of it for a moment before slowly opening it. He screamed when there was a huge set of white teeth right in front of his face.

Haruta and Ace ran to the library to see Thatch was clutching his chest and breathing heavily, trying to calm himself. He looked up at the two who were very obviously guilty. Luffy was laughing in his chuffing sounds in the library, where he took up much of the area.

"You assholes! I'm gonna kill you!" he screamed as he woke up much of the ship. Ace and Haruta went sprinting away, laughing uncontrollably. Luffy chased after Thatch, wanting to know what would happen next.

Thatch tried to tackle Ace and Haruta, but only got Harta as Thatch passed right through Ace, though he didn't get burned. "It was Haruta's idea!" Ace laughed loudly. Luffy caught up easily and smiled at Thatch trying to punch Haruta. It turned into a wrestling match.

_Poor Thatch,_ Luffy said in humor. Ace walked over to him, jumping over the two commanders easily, and leaned against the dragon.

_Hey, we just played along. We had no idea he was so scared of ghosts and shit, _Ace replied.

"If it wasn't against my very being, none of you would get breakfast!" Thatch fumed. But his face was also pink in embarrassment. "And don't use sweet and gentle Luffy to be a scary monster!"

_I really like Thatch. And that was fun! _Luffy said. _But I'm tired._

"Well, we still have hours before breakfast. We can sleep now."

Thatch whipped his head around. "Oh no, you guys are cleaning the mess before you go back to bed," he said with a glare. "You jerks didn't even let me get my hair done!" His hair was floppy and had bed head badly.

Ace was able to clean up the mess easily. It wouldn't take long at all. "M'kay. Be right back," Ace replied and sped off to their trail of white footprints. He easily burned the powder off of the walls, floor and ceiling without harming the ship.

"Okay, now we can go to bed," Ace said with a yawn. Thatch and Haruta looked at him in surprise. He'd been gone maybe three minutes. "I burned the powder off of the walls and floor. don't worry, it didn't hurt the ship. See you for breakfast!" and he and Luffy walked back to their room, which was in a different hall than most of the bedrooms, as it hadn't been a bedroom until the brothers arrived.

Luffy flopped down on his mat and fell asleep easily. Ace did the same on the bed and was also out like a light.

"I'm gonna kill you, Haruta," Thatch grumbled as they walked to their rooms. The commanders had their own small bathrooms, so Thatch was going to do his hair, while Haruta was going back to sleep.

"Nah, you won't. You love me too much," he laughed. Thatch punched the back of his head and stormed into his room.

-x-

"Was that you screaming this morning, Thatch?" Izo asked at the breakfast table. Ace and Haruta sat at the end of the table, with Luffy at the head, sitting down and eating his foot with his hands.

Ace and Haruta both chuckled, earning a glare from Thatch. Luffy smiled, too, though he didn't laugh.

"Those assholes down at the head of the table pranked me at 4 AM! Luffy's not an asshole, just his brother and our dear commander Haruta," Thatch grumbled. He liked Luffy too much to be mad at him. But, he sure was good at looking scary. Now, he just looked friendly and content. Completely different. No wonder being snarled at had freaked Haruta out.

Marco looked at the two youngsters, as Haruta was the youngest commander, though not as young as Ace. They were both grinning. "What was this prank?" he asked.

"Those jerks made foot prints along the walls and ceiling in front of my door. Then, a piece of paper told me to go to the library. So I did, and _Luffy _was standing right on the other side of the door and lookin' all scary! What did you two even use for the footprints? And how did it get on the ceiling?"

"We used baby powder!" Haruta laughed. "And Ace is quite nimble and did handstands on Luffy's back to walk along the ceiling. It took almost two hours."

The others could see how that would scare Thatch. "You assholes," Thatch grumbled.

"Well, Haruta has to be the most guilty. How would Ace or Luffy know you were afraid of paranormal stuff," Izo reasoned. Thatch snapped at him that "he wasn't afraid, okay?!". Izo just shrugged. "But this sure is different than the attitude just recently. Luffy snarled at you."

"Well yeah, he was being a jerk, but at least an honest jerk. We don't like lies," Ace said while he had eggs stuffed in his mouth. Luffy nodded in agreement as he chewed on some of Ace's pile of toast.

Whitebeard laughed. "You two fit right in here." Ace frowned, and everyone knew that was the wrong thing to say.

"We're still planning on leaving once it's safe," the teen said with a hard face. Some of the crew visibly deflated.

_They all want us to stay, _Luffy said to Ace. The older brother looked to the younger with a frown and nodded.

"Well, we'll see what happens. You two might end up wanting to stay. Dragon, human, or not, we don't discriminate," Whitebeard said simply. Ace was quiet the rest of the meal. "No one is going to force you to stay, though I think that would be impossible if anyone even tried."

Later that day, Luffy told Ace he was going to see Thatch and apologize for ruining his day. "He won't know what you mean, Luffy," Ace said, feeling bad for his brother, unable to talk to anyone without Ace present. Luffy frowned.

_Then come with me. _Ace nodded and accompanied his brother to where Luffy could smell the cook. He was in the library, for once not in the kitchen. They walked to the room, and Ace knocked gently on the open door.

"Ace, Luffy," Thatch said in surprise. He saw the guilty look on the dragon's face. It was amazing how much expression could be shown on a non-human face. "I'm not pissed about it, so you don't need to apologize. Haruta would have done it anyways, even if you two hadn't helped."

Luffy visibly lost the guilty look and seemed relieved. "We just didn't want you to be mad at us, especially Luffy, since we both like you," Ace explained. Thatch smiled, and thanked them. Luffy and Ace left the room, their mission done, and walked out on deck. It was cool, as they were approaching a winter island, so the pirates mostly had heavier clothes on. Except Ace, who was, like always, shirtless. He was glad the pirates didn't seem to care about that.

He had been twelve when he realized it felt better to be shirtless. Plus, it wasn't like there were people around to be upset about it.

Luffy also wasn't bothered, and it felt nice. They both went to the back where Luffy usually napped, and relaxed in the sunlight, until it started to snow. The snow didn't gather on Ace. Each time any flakes got close to him, they melted. Though, snow did gather on Luffy. He didn't care, it felt nice.

There was a puddle of water around Ace, while the snow that came to close melted and evaporated once it touched him, so he wasn't wet from the water. They just relaxed for a bit, not talking. It was always nice when there weren't many people on deck.

It was a couple hours after they'd retired to outside, and both fell asleep that Luffy smelled something delicious and woke up to see Thatch walking over with a tray with two steaming mugs on it. Well, one mug and one large bowl.

_Ace, wake up._

"Hmm?" Ace mumbled sleepily before he woke up completely. "Hey, Thatch. What's up?" the teen asked, yawning.

"Brought you both some hot chocolate. Can Luffy eat chocolate?" Thatch asked. He knew some creatures got sick from chocolate. Luffy nodded and the steaming bowl was set on the deck in front of him, with Ace taking the mug into his hands. Heat didn't bother him so he took a gulp of homemade hot chocolate.

Luffy made what could be described as a deep coo when he tasted the chocolate. It was so good! Thatch took that reaction as such and grinned.

"Hey! Why do you give them hot chocolate but not me?!" Haruta demanded, stomping over.

"They apologized for upsetting me. No hot chocolate for you until you apologize," the cook explained.

"I'm sorry, Thatch," Haruta replied. "Ace, you caved too early!" he shouted. Ace just shrugged and drank more of his drink, Luffy licking it up greedily. It really was delicious. He'd only had chocolate a few times, and it was a treat back when the three brothers were all together, and the two older ones had bought candy as a treat for young Luffy after he mastered his ice powers. He had forgotten about that.

It made him a bit sad. _I miss Sabo,_ he said seemingly out of the blue.

Ace sighed. "Yeah, me too. I bet he would have liked it here. With lots of books." Luffy nodded and went back to drinking his half empty bowl of the delicious drink.

"Hey, Ace? What does Luffy sound like? When you talk to your heads?" Haruta wondered. Ace thought for a moment, not sure how to describe it.

"Hmm, well, he doesn't have a voice like a person does. It's like I just know what he's saying. Kind of echo sounding. It's hard to describe. If Luffy suddenly could talk, I wouldn't recognize the voice," Ace did his best to explain. He guzzled the rest of the hot chocolate and handed the empty mug to Thatch. "It was really good."

Luffy nodded his head in agreement, licking the bowl clean after finishing it himself. "Jeez, you two could have enjoyed it longer if you went slower," Thatch said with a chuckle. The brothers both looked like they had never thought about that. "Anyways, we're having a party tonight with Teach's group coming back home. Gonna be tons of food and booze. Do you drink?" he asked Ace.

"No. Alcohol is disgusting," he replied. Luffy nodded his head. Thatch glared at Ace, which surprised the teen.

"You let Luffy drink alcohol?!" he demanded, like an overprotective and disappointed father.

"Well, only a little. We exchanged sake cups with Sabo when we were little. Luffy only licked the cup. He hated it," Ace explained. "Shanks gave me some when we met him, but time hasn't changed the fact that it's rancid."

Haruta hummed. "Well, then that's the only thing about you that doesnt fit in with us. We all love booze!"

"Don't know why," Ace commented. Thatch and Haruta had sat down across from the brothers. Luffy suddenly flopped over onto his side, closing his eyes and quickly falling back to sleep while Ace rubbed his side gently. "Don't know why you would want to be unable to control your own body by becoming so intoxicated."

Haruta laughed. "Nah, you just haven't tasted good alcohol. We'll give you some of the good stuff," he insisted.

_Ace would probably blab all of our secrets if he got drunk, _Luffy murmured. Ace hit him lightly. "Would not!"

Luffy just hummed, and adjusted himself again so he was on his back, his wings still tucked close. Ace knew that if Luffy was laying on his back, something he only did alone with Ace, it meant that he trusted these two.

The dragon had said, when he was a baby, he only lays on his back around "the most special peoples". Namely, Ace and Sabo. Ace was glad that the first humans they'd gotten close to were nice people like these two. It was also a plus that Thatch cooked him delicious food and fresh produce.

"Well, anyways, dinner is outside tonight, even if it's cold, we always party outside. Not that the temperature seems to matter to either of you. Gonna go prepare. Since you don't want alcohol, I'll get some more hot chocolate ready for you," Thatch said and then walked back inside, Haruta following and pestering for his own hot chocolate, leaving the brothers alone in the cold. It had stopped snowing.

"I think the ship will be pretty loud tonight, so might as well get some preemptive sleep," Ace told Luffy, who was already asleep, and then leaned back against his brother and falling asleep himself.


	10. The Last of the Good Days

**Samster7421: Yeah, I and EVERYONE hates Teach, and will so even more in this story soon. I hope Luffy beats him in a humiliating way in the anime/manga and then he gets executed and Luffy will replace him as an emperor on his way to become the pirate king!**

* * *

**MUCH shorter chapter than the previous one. This is the last chapter for awhile that is at all fluffy. Part 3 starts next chapter and things get rolling pretty quickly. Jeez part 2 was long! Look forward to the angst and drama and savor the last of the fluff! Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy could officially say he despised Whitebeard pirates' parties. The whole deck reeked of alcohol, and everyone was extremely loud. So, loud sounds and bad smells. He breathed through his mouth the whole time, only breathing through his nose when he ate.

Ace didn't have the same problems. The sounds weren't amplified and he couldn't smell the stench of booze.

_I'm going inside, _Luffy said grumpily, pushing through the crowd of drunken pirates.

_Why? What's wrong?_

_It smells horrible out here. The scent of the alcohol burns my nose and it's too loud. I'm gonna try and go to bed. Have fun, _Luffy explained and then headed inside. Ace frowned, and sniffed the air. He couldn't smell the stench unless up close to it or someone who was intoxicated. Luffy had already drank his fill of hot chocolate, and was sleepy from it.

Ace looked conflicted. Luffy was too far away. He never realized how uncomfortable he was without Luffy near, as they'd always been together everywhere since Sabo had died. He fidgeted uncomfortably, not sure whether to go or stay.

"What's wrong Ace?" Marco asked. "Where did Luffy go?"

"The noises and smell of alcohol was too much for him," Ace explained, still looking uncomfortable.

"No one will be upset if you go with him. There are a few on the crew who don't like the parties and go inside to get away from the noise," Marco said considerately.

"No, I'll stay out here," Ace replied, and followed him over to the group with Hartuta and Thatch, who were playing a drunken game of poker. Ace was soon one of the only on the crew who wasn't intoxicated. It wasn't fun being around the drunken pirates, who kept offering him alcohol.

Finally, when a mug of beer was shoved into his hands for the third time, he'd had enough. "Enough! I've said I don't want to and am not going to drink! Give me space!" he shouted angrily, surprising some around him, as he turned and walked straight through the crowd and inside to where Luffy was.

He heard some apologizing from behind him, but was still angry that it took him blowing up for them to stop trying to get him intoxicated. Why would he want to lose control of himself while under the influence? What is fun about that?

When Ace got to the bedroom door, Luffy was laying down, though not asleep. _Too much?_ Luffy guessed. Ace sighed and nodded. _Is it weird being around other humans?_

"A little bit. It's stupid… but I was really uncomfortable the moment you left. Made me really agitated," Ace confessed. Luffy stood up and nuzzled Ace's chest, the place his head reached when standing normally he hung his head a bit. Ace hugged him. "Are we clingy?"

_I don't think so. We're both all we have. Sabo's gone, and that's the only other person who treated us like people when knowing everything, even though we aren't human. You're all I have and I'm all you have, right? _Ace nodded.

"Not including Gramps. But, it is nice to make friends," Ace admitted.

_Human friends? _Luffy asked, sitting back down on his mat. Ace frowned at him.

"What other friends are we supposed to make? Neither of us can talk to animals, so humans are all we got, right?" Ace asked. Luffy let out a big sigh through his nostrils. "Are you still upset about being unable to talk to anyone?" the brother asked softly. Luffy nodded sadly.

_I wanna talk without needing a translator, _Luffy grumbled. Ace got off the bed and sat down next to Luffy on his mat. He hugged Luffy's big body.

"I know you do. But I'll always be with you to translate. I'll never lose you or be away from you. We're in this together. For the long haul, however long we both live. Always," Ace comforted.

_I know._

Two hours later, they were both lying awake in their room. Everyone was too loud, and how long would this party last? It was already 2 AM. Man, the ship would be full of hangovers when the sun came up. And Ace was _not _cleaning up vomit stains just because they were all too smashed to do it themselves.

_How has the ship not been attacked while everyone is drunk? _Luffy wondered as he stared at the ceiling, Ace doing the same on his bed.

"Maybe the Whitebeard flag is deterrent to attackers. I mean, it hadn't been for us, but we were desperate. But then again, everyone being drunk might be inviting. What if they were stronger drunk? How do human's bodies work? How does alcohol work?" Ace rambled in his exhaustion. It was late. Really, much too late for all of this noise.

Luffy and Ace were probably the only ones having trouble sleeping because they weren't passed out drunk.

The noises finally stopped at 3 AM, when everyone had passed out drunk. Looks like it'd be a late breakfast for Thatch. The brothers were finally able to fall asleep, though they woke up still exhausted. They never really stayed up that late, and for good reason. They both needed a lot of sleep to function properly in the morning. Both of them would be tired all day.

-x-

The first thing to happen the next day at a late breakfast was for the commanders who were able to make it from the bathrooms, full of vomiting pirates, apologized for pushing Ace too much with the alcohol.

"We just wanted you to try it since everyone else likes it. We're sorry we pushed too much," Haruta said as he covered his eyes with his hands from the not very bright lights above them. Marco seemed perfectly fine, as did the captain. Ace was surprised about that, but he had seen Whitebeard get scolded by the nurses for drinking, not that he was going to stop.

"Apology accepted," Ace replied as he and Luffy dug into the food. Not many people were actually eating, as most were feeling or being sick. Ace wondered, if he drank that much, if he'd have a hangover. Can he even get drunk in the first place?

"Why does everyone get so intoxicated? When they'll wake up miserable the next day?" Ace asked, observing those in the room.

"It's fun in the moment. Everyone will be fine by tomorrow, when we reach the next island," Marco said casually. "Luckily, my powers keep me from getting too drunk."

Ace looked up at him in interest. "Is that why no one has attacked the ship while everyone is drunk? 'Cause you're awake?" he asked in between bite of his eggs, which were a bit more runny than usual, but Thatch had done his best while having a hangover. Plus, he cooked in very dim lights for his headache.

"That and luck," Marco replied simply. Luffy stayed quiet as he ate his breakfast. Both brothers were amazed with how this crew didn't run out of food quickly, though there were hundreds of pirates on board. Especially now that they had Luffy, who needed tons of food multiple times a day. Back at home, they had giant animals to eat.

"So, what's the next island?" Ace wondered aloud.

Marco was the one to answer again. "It's not like the last island. Has some cities on it, where we're gonna get more supplies and food, even though we have a lot of meat still. It might be best for you two to stay on the ship. With everything going on, y'know?" he said quietly, but loud enough for those at the table to hear.

Ace and Luffy visibly deflated. They were so used to being free, and being confined on a ship like this was taking its toll. They were bored. The others saw their reactions, and could guess what they were thinking.

"You and Luffy could fly around. We'll be at one island for a couple days. It should be fine if you two stay up high," Marco said. Luffy nodded his big head happily. He wanted to stretch his wings. And Ace wanted off the ship as well.

The day went much too slowly. There was nothing to do and no one to hang out with that wasn't feeling like crap. They were excited to make it to the next island and finally get off the ship for awhile.

It was nice here, but cramped. The food was free and abundant, and having company was refreshing, but it was very restrictive. Though, they were planning on being pirates on a pirate ship in the first place. A much smaller one than the Moby Dick was.

"Are you two looking forward to the next island?" Whitebeard asked curiously as he approached them. They were behind his chair on the head of the whale ship, relaxing. Both brothers nodded. "It is a bit cramped on a ship for a dragon like Luffy. What was your life like before you set out on your mission?" the captain wondered. He wanted to know more about the two. Well, know what they were comfortable telling.

"We lived in a forest on a mountain back home. It was abundant with huge animals, which kept us fed pretty well. We trained a lot to get stronger. We were actually supposed to set out two years ago, but Luffy was still too small to carry me long distances.

"Sabo lived with us when we were still kids, in a treehouse we'd built together. Luffy was still a baby back then. He didn't make it any easier, wandering off to chase bugs while we worked," Ace said, but looked at Luffy fondly. "We do miss the freedom of the forest. Being on a ship is much different. A big change.

"But, we were planning on being on a ship anyways when we set out to be pirates. A ship much smaller than this one, no doubt."

"So you and Sabo raised Luffy from a baby?" Whitebeard asked. Ace nodded. "How big was he?"

"When Luffy hatched he was the size of a bear cub. Lots of things changed when he hatched. For the better, really," Ace said and rubbed his hand down Luffy's side. "I was six, and took care of his egg for all that time. I'm glad our 'guardians' never sold his egg. I kept him with me at all times."

Whitebeard smiled at the story. He wished their brother was still alive, though. To be killed at ten years old… How vile some humans can be. Despite what the bastards think -_thought- _Celestial Dragons had been humans. Just terrible ones. The captain really wondered if killing them all would make the world a better place, though that hadn't been the reasoning for the Mary Geoise Massacre.

He got closer to the brothers and sat next to them, showing that he still wanted to talk. Luffy shuffled himself around so he was facing the big man now. It was still strange being near someone who was bigger than he was.

"Can I ask how the massacre came to be?" he asked quietly, making sure that there was no one close enough to hear their conversation. Ace's face grew dark.

"Why?" he asked, unable to hide the suspicion in his voice.

"I am just curious. You do not need to tell me if you don't want to," Whitebeard replied in an even voice, unfazed by the suspicion. It was a delicate and dangerous subject to talk about, so it made sense they would hesitate or refuse to share everything about it.

_I think it's fine, _Luffy said, watching Ace's face. He sighed, but agreed and began to talk.

"It's not that interesting of a story. We decided to do it when Sabo had been killed. It took years of planning, though, to find a way to pull it off. We wouldn't come up with a sloppy tactic for something like that. And it took lots of training to be able to actually do what the plan was.

"Luffy had to learn more with his ice powers, and I had to master the fire powers. I ate the devil fruit as a young kid, so I had a lot of time to learn and practice. Set the forest on fire a few times by accident.

"Anyways, when I turned 19, and Luffy 13, we set out from the East Blue. Flew over the Red Line into the Grand Line. We traveled to the other side of the Red Line after we met Shanks and his crew and learned more about the dickheads," (Luffy snorted) "So, we were ready. Had to make sure no one saw Luffy, which sucked for him since he couldn't go anywhere on the islands.

"It was night time when we flew up to Mary Geoise. Luffy surrounded the city with ice, creating an unbreakable box. Not even the admirals were able to get through. Wish I had seen their faces. I burned the city to the ground while Luffy evacuated all of the slaves through ice hallways and doors made through the ice.

"He took care of the individuals while I burned the palace down. Even though they were shitty brats, we didn't hurt the kids. Luffy just froze them in blocks of ice. By the time we were done, no one and nothing was left. Not even any ash to have our footprints.

"The ice box melted as me and Luffy flew down over the side of the Red Line and into the New world. We didn't have enough food and Luffy was exhausted, so that's why we landed on this ship. Just to get food and some sleep. Didn't know it was the Whitebeard's ship or we would have gone somewhere else," Ace finished, reclining against Luffy.

_And Ace thought he could get food and come back okay, _Luffy teased.

"Hey, it's not like you could do better!" Ace shot back, causing Luffy to laugh. "Besides, everything worked out in the end." The brother nodded his head and yawned, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Well, I'm sure we're all glad you two landed here. Even if it was a bad start. Well, it's only been a few weeks," Whitebeard replied.

"Hey, how long has Marco been here? He's the first mate, right?" Ace wondered.

"I found Marco when he was a teenager. Then Thatch a couple months later. He was also a teenager, though younger than Marco was," the captain replied.

Ace and Luffy both looked surprised. "So, the strongest crew in the world started off with a bunch of teenagers?" Ace asked in disbelief. Whitebeard laughed loudly.

"That's right," the man said. "And there are crews that are nearly as strong as us. Take the Big Mom pirates, another Yonko with a large crew. Her children are her crew, biological children. The woman has had over eighty children.

"You don't want to go anywhere near her territory. No doubt, she'd be interested in Luffy and keep him as decoration or something of the sort."

_Big Mom pirates? I haven't heard of them before. Have you? _Luffy asked Ace. He shook his head.

"What kind of crew are they?" Ace asked in interest. Whitebeard got in a comfortable position and began to explain the other Yonko, her crew, and territory.

"Holy crap, a billion berri bounty?!" Ace shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah. Dogtooth is a very feared pirate. And with good reason as he is powerful and can be ruthless. Never met him, though I have spoken with Big Mom."

_I can't believe there's a kingdom all made of food. Candy! I want to visit. Have all the candy I want, _Luffy said dreamily.

"No, he just said we shouldn't go there, even if it is made of candy. I wonder if the buildings are made of candy, too?" Ace asked, unable to help himself from thinking about how awesome it would be to go to a land made of candy and foods.

"Everything is made of food in Totto Land. There is another Yonko as well, that you haven't met. His name is Kaido of the beasts. As I am deemed the strongest man in the world, he is considered the strongest creature in the world. I don't know much about him, as we haven't spoken except a few times. His island, Wano, is not part of the world government, so it is much a mystery.

"I've heard he is a drunk."

Ace laughed. "Aren't all of the Yonkos? I mean, Shanks got drunk and everyone here likes being drunk. Does Big Mom drink?" Whitebeard laughed

"I guess you have a point there. I don't know about Big Mom. I just know she eats almost nothing besides sweets."

"Is she obese?"

"Very." The captain smiled as he heard Luffy start to purr, like a loud house cat, but deeper, when Ace started rubbing his side when he rolled to his side and closed his eyes. "He sure does nap a lot."

"We think it's because he's not getting any exercise. He becomes dull and tired when he doesn't move around enough," Ace explained. Whitebeard frowned, wishing he could do something to make the ship even bigger.

"Well, tomorrow he can fly as far as he wants and we'll still be in the same place." Luffy had fallen asleep with inconsistent bouts of purring, which gradually turned into light snores. Haruta came running over with Thatch following while Whitebeard moved back to his throne. Seeing Luffy napping, the two commanders kept quieter.

Haruta sat down in front of him and started dealing cards. "We're playing poker," he said, deciding for Ace that he was gonna take part. He didn't protest, but made sure they would keep quiet so they didn't wake Luffy.

-x-

The moment the ship docked at the busy New World island, Luffy leapt off of the side and flew away quickly, out towards the rising sun and away from the island he could easily be spotted from. Ace was sitting on him, the harness back on for the first time in awhile.

Luffy grinned as he flew, doing happy loops and dives into the water. Ace held on as tight as he could, not telling Luffy to stop doing flips as it was making him sick. He could imagine how stiff and cramped he was without flying for awhile. Unable to even run around.

"Someone is happy," Ace teased, speaking aloud loud enough to be heard over the wind in their ears as Luffy sped away from the island and current home.

_Yeah, I am! Finally get to move around, _Luffy cheered. He scaled and flew higher and higher until the ship was a little speck, before diving straight downwards, making Ace have to hold on tightly and clamp his knees onto Luffy's sides to stop from falling off and into the water. Not that he'd drown.

"Y'know, not being able to stand not moving around is going to be difficult once we have our own ship," Ace called, trying to not sound concerned though he was. Luffy flattened out and just glided across the water and away from the island.

_O-oh… I didn't think of that,_ the dragon replied.

"Well, let's not worry about that now. We still have a lot of time until we set out on our own. Still gotta go back to Goa and start fresh from there. So, let's just enjoy now, okay?" Ace said, worried he'd ruined Luffy's good mood. Luffy just nodded and lost himself in loops and dives.

Then, Luffy did something pretty mean. He grinned and suddenly turned upside down and shook, losing Ace, who was falling and shouting for help. He was about to hit the water before Luffy dived down and grabbed him, throwing him around in the air, catching and dropping, until Ace was begging for him to stop or he'd throw up.

"What the hell, Luffy?!" he roared after he was securely on Luffy's back again.

_That's for ruining my good mood._

-x-

The brothers returned to the ship, Luffy exhausted (but in a good way), before dinner. They had flown a considerable distance, catching their own large dolphin, grilling it in midair to eat. So, they hadn't returned for lunch, which had worried the others.

"Where have you been?!" Thatch demanded when Luffy landed on the ship with a loud thud, with him flopping onto his side when Ace got off. He looked confused.

"We were flying," Ace replied slowly, not knowing why they were angry at him.

"You didn't come back for lunch!" Thatch accused, like that had been a terrible crime. Ace explained that they had caught their own food and ate that. Thatch scowled at them. "I would have made you a perfectly good lunch."

_I didn't want to go back to the ship so soon, _Luffy said, watching the interaction. So, Ace repeated that.

"We were having a lot of fun. Luffy didn't want to come back so soon. So, we came back when he was tired. It was nothing personal," Ace explained. They all heard a very loud growl. They looked at Luffy. "Well, we all know Luffy's ready for dinner," Ace said with a cheeky grin. Luffy stood up and hurried after Thatch, who told them food was almost ready.

"Guess what I found on the island?" Thatch baited the brothers, who were the only ones who hadn't heard about Thatch's discovery. He pulled out a purple-blue, swirly patterned fruit from his pocket. "A devil fruit!" the man said with a grin. "I don't know what fruit it is, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna eat it yet."

"You'll lose the chance to swim. No more bathing alone, you know," Ace pointed out. He and Luffy followed Thatch to the kitchen, where the large box titled "Luffy's food" was opened and Thatch pulled out lots of produce and put it in the bag to take to the table. Ace walked with him back to the table as pirates started to filter in. He spread all of the fruits and vegetables along the end of the table as he started to dig in, not waiting for anyone else. Luffy ate his food happily, very hungry after flying to long.

Thatch continued the conversation like there had been no break once he sat down at the table to eat himself. "Sure, being unable to swim would suck, but getting some cool power might be worth it," he said.

Marco said, "Or you could get stuck with a stupid one. Wanna be the jacket-jacket human? Be able to turn yourself into a jacket and have someone else wear it?" Some at the table scoffed at the stupid fruit. What a disappointment that would be. "We can find out what it is tomorrow. Then you can decide."

"That sounds like the best approach," Thatch agreed. Ace choked on his meat a bit, and took a long gulp of his glass of water, not noticing the fizziness in it. Luffy didn't notice it in his bowl of water either.

* * *

**So, Thatch has found the fruit. We all know where this is going... :(**


	11. The Betrayal

**Here we are at part 3. A/N at bottom this time. Enjoy~**

* * *

_ **PART 3** _

* * *

Ace and Luffy decided to go out on deck for awhile and watch the stars before going to bed, even though both were tired. It was just nice outside, and the weather was supposed to stay stable overnight, though it would be cooler.

Ace brought out a pillow for him to use, though didn't bother with a blanket as he didn't need one. The last thing he remembers thinking was, "Why am I so tired?"

When he next woke up, he had a horrible headache, things were blurry, and he was sweaty. He was blinded by bright lights.

And Luffy was gone.

-x-

Thatch was on watch that night, and kept his fruit with him so no one would eat it while he was away from his room. He spent a while wondering excitedly what it was. He walked around the ship and found Ace and Luffy sleeping on deck. Luffy was relaxed on his side, and Ace unconscious against him. Both of them were drooling, but Thatch could see sweat glistening in the moonlight on Ace's skin. He frowned and approached him before he noticed someone behind him.

"Hey, Teach. What'cha doing out so late?" Thatch asked in a friendly voice before Teach rushed him, plunging Ace's hunting knife into his back. He grunted and fell to his knees. Neither Ace nor Luffy woke up.

"W-why?" Thatch rasped, clutching at the dagger but not able to take it out. He got his answer when Teach pulled the devil fruit out of Thatch's pocket. Thatch glared at him. "I-if you had as-asked," the cook growled.

Teach laughed. "Zehahahaha! Why ask when I can just take?" and he took a big bite out of it. Thatch's eyes widened when Teach's body suddenly turned into dark matter. Like it was made of black dust and particles.

"Why?" Thatch asked again as he fell to his side. "A-Ace!" the chef called, trying to wake him up, as Teach was now approaching Ace and Luffy, who were still unconscious. When darkness formed under Luffy, he slowly sunk into it, disappearing into it without a sound. Then the dragon was gone.

Teach grinned wickedly. He now had ownership of real, live dragon. He'd keep it as a pet, or maybe a slave to make him look more powerful in others' eyes. That's all he was.

The traitor went to Thatch and pulled the dagger out, before he took it to Ace and set the bloody knife in his hand. Thatch's eyes widened even more; he was framing Ace for his murder. If no one helped him, Thatch would surely die, and Ace would take the blame. And now Luffy was gone.

Teach gave one last ugly grin and jumped over the side of the ship and onto the island.

-x-

Marco was in his office late at night, working on overdue paperwork. He was very focused, but not focused enough not to feel a presence on the ship to suddenly vanish. And someone was leaving the ship and going to the island. He was about to dismiss it, but knew he shouldn't and his phoenyx senses were telling him something was very wrong.

He left the room and sprinted out onto deck where the presence disappeared. When he saw who was out there, and who _wasn't, _he knew who had gone. Luffy was nowhere to be seen or sensed.

Then he saw Ace, sleeping deeply, covered in sweat, holding his bloody dagger. Marco's eyes widened as he looked around for the source of the blood, getting a really bad feeling. Then, he looked to the left to see Thatch, on his stomach, covered in blood. His eyes were barely fluttering.

"_THATCH!" _Marco screamed, running to him and leaving the only culprit to stay asleep. Marco rushed to his injured brother and tore his shirt open to see a stab wound. One that looked the size of Ace's blade he always kept in his room while on the ship.

Marco gently picked Thatch up and ran with him to the infirmary as fast as possible. Thatch groaned in his arms. When they reached the infirmary, Marco set Thatch on the bed carefully, and shouted for the nurses, who lived close to their domain. He banged on all of their doors until they opened.

"Get to work on Thatch!" he shouted. The nurses didn't bother getting dressed as they ran to Thatch in their pyjamas. Tami was given a shirt by Marco once he got back into the room, as she had been sleeping in her bra. He was glad she went for Thatch before getting dressed. The nurses really cared.

As Thatch was treated, Marco watched for awhile before remembering the culprit out on deck. The man hurried towards the commanders' hall and banged on all of the doors, and finally Pops's at the end of the hall.

Everyone grumpily came out of the rooms, grumbling about being woken up at 2 AM. Marco didn't wait to say, "It seems Ace tried to kill Thatch."

"_WHAT?!" _Haruta shouted. "Ace wouldn't do that!"

"He's on deck, let's go question him. Thatch is in the infirmary getting care by the nurses." He tried to keep the concern out of his voice, but it was still there. Out of everyone in the hall, Whitebeard looked the least convinced.

They all hurried out onto deck to see Ace still passed out and holding the dagger. It was dark out still, so Marco brought out his flames to help light the deck more than it was. Izo crouched next to Ace, who was sweating heavily, his whole body, and he looked exhausted.

"Ace, get up," Izo said in his ear. Ace didn't wake. Izo then shouted the same words into Ace's ear, but he still didn't stir. Izo slid up one of his eyelids to see his eyes were bloodshot and pink, with his pupils huge.

"Ace didn't kill Thatch. He's been drugged," Whitebeard said. The others, most of them, could tell something was off with Ace, and that he looked sick. But, who would drug him? "Where is Luffy?" he asked in true worry and concern. Luffy was never apart from Ace.

"Someone go get one of the nurses," Izo said. Kingdew left to go get one.

Marco frowned. "That's why I came out. His presence just disappeared. It was here one second, and then it was gone. It didn't leave the ship, just blinked out. And someone left the ship after that. I don't know who, as I was inside the ship."

Jozu frowned. "I know Ace seems like a good kid, but we barely know him. And he lies to us a lot," he pointed out. No one wanted to believe one of their crew had tried to kill Thatch, kidnapped Luffy, and framed Ace.

"Jozu, he planned how to kill all of the Celestial Dragons and World Nobles, and didn't get caught. Do you really think he'd make a plan like this? Falling asleep yards away from his victim? Why would he sleep with the knife, either? And it doesn't explain where Luffy is," Whitebeard replied.

"It can't have been one of the commanders who has done this. You would all know better than to make a sloppy frame like this. And, do you really think Ace would use his own weapon to kill someone?"

Vista glared as he looked at Ace, though not because of him. "So, someone tried to frame Ace." Whitebeard nodded.

"I'd say so. And he took Luffy while Ace was unconscious. They most likely drugged him, too. Everyone, search the island for anyone suspicious. Anyone who is on this crew, but not on the ship. Find them, now!" Whitebeard commanded.

"Aye!" they shouted, and went to get their weapons to hunt for whoever tried to kill Thatch and stole Luffy. Marco flew off at once. It was the middle of the night. Ships wouldn't be leaving at this time. They at least had until morning.

No one thought they'd find whoever it was by seeing the dragon. Marco said he disappeared. Had to be some sort of power to take him without a fuss or any trouble. Power… the fruit! Whoever killed Thatch wanted the fruit! And because of that fruit, they were able to take Luffy.

He flew back to the ship immediately and told Whitebeard his suspicions. The captain had Balmecco go inside to the library and try to find out what power the fruit Thatch found was. The fruit hadn't been with Thatch, but he had seen it already anyways.

Kingdew came back with Tami, who had been filled in on what he'd heard.

"Check over Ace, we think he's been drugged," Whitebeard said, the only one left as the commanders had gone onto the island to search. Tami looked shocked. Drugged? Did someone steal drugs from the infirmary?

She looked over Ace. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils abnormal. He was sweaty and wouldn't wake up. He was most definitely drugged. But, his tongue being extremely dried made her know what drug he'd been given, and that he'd been given a lot.

"Emphazol. A strong sedative. He's been given quite a lot. We need to take him to the infirmary, too. Where's Luffy?" Tami asked.

"He's missing," Whitebeard said, carefully picking Ace up to not make him nauseous with all the drugs he'd been given. He followed Tami to the infirmary, though a different section as Thatch was in surgery. Whitebeard was doing his best not to freak out, and was glad no one had come out rushing and made a mess of things even further.

"I won't be able to test how much of the drug is in his system since it's impossible to draw blood. All I can do is monitor him. I'm worried about Luffy given this type of drug, though. He's not human, and though I don't like how it sounds, his body is more like an animal. Some animals can't handle drugs like this. Most, actually," Tami worried. "I just hope we find him soon."

-x-

Everything was dark. It was like the darkness was heavy all around him, so Luffy couldn't move. He couldn't tell if he was asleep, or just in a dark room with no light. There was also no sound besides his heartbeat in his ears.

He'd woken up not long after being absorbed, so he didn't know what had happened. Where was Ace. _Ace? _Luffy asked fearfully. No response. Ace _always _responded. Luffy was scared now. All alone in the heavy silence.

He tried freezing anything around him, but there was nothing. He couldn't even tell if there was a bottom or he was just floating. Where the hell was he? How could he get out if it was too heavy to move. He whimpered, but no sound came out. It was like everything was mute. He roared, but it was like he didn't do anything. No sound.

He felt lethargic, and fell over when he tried getting to his feet, as he had been lying on his stomach. Didn't he fall asleep next to Ace? And he wanted water. His tongue itched it was so dry. What had happened?

"_Mar… hi… de… getti… ack," _Luffy heard distantly. Like he was only hearing pieces of dialogue. He heard laughter loud and clear, and he knew who this was. Teach. But, besides being smelly, Teach had been a nice enough guy.

Did he drug and kidnap Luffy? Take him away from Ace? No, Luffy couldn't be away from Ace, and vice versa. No, no, no, Ace _needed _him! If Luffy couldn't get in touch with him, Ace would think Luffy had died, maybe. He'd be devastated!

But, no matter how hard he tried, Luffy couldn't bring himself to his feet. He couldn't even crawl. Once he was out of here, he was going to kill Teach and find his way back to Ace, his home. _Nowhere _without Ace was home.

He didn't hear any more communication, and just waited in the silence.

* * *

**Samster7421: You'll have to wait to know for many chapters. **

**Kurosaki Shiro: Check out the tags :) **

* * *

**And now the story is dark. To those who are worried over Thatch and if he will die, if you truly want to know whether he survives or not, check the tags for this story. If you don't want to know, don't look closely at the tags. And since this chapter is so small, I'll post the next one sooner. I just finished my child development final and ended up with a 98% in that class!**


	12. Waking Up to a Nightmare

**Lupa Valkyrie Cain Grimm: Thank you!**

* * *

**I don't know how this happened in editing, but this chapter is ridiculously short and I'm sorry about that. I tried to combine this and the next chapter, but it made a mess of google docs trying to rename all of the chapters. Sorry about this. On the good news, my finals are all over! I got As on all of them and all of my classes! One more class to go and then I'm graduated! Enjoy~**

* * *

Whitebeard read about the devil fruit that caused this mess in concern. He was sure it was this one: the yami yami fruit. If this was the correct one, then finding and getting Luffy back would be difficult. No one would be able to get him without the traitor's permission. Luffy was stuck in limbo basically, if it was correct that he had been taken into the darkness.

But how else would his presence have just disappeared without a trace or clue as to where he went? Ace still hadn't woken up and it was three hours into the search. The commanders were searching the entire island, even if it was a Red Haired Pirates' protected island. They had a betrayal to deal with and a friend to rescue.

It was better to let Shanks know what they were doing, so Whitebeard closed the book and went to the communications room that held all of the transponder snails. It was 4 AM, but that didn't matter at the moment.

He dialed Shanks's number, and waited for him to pick up. It was a full minute of ringing before a grumpy, "_Who the hell is calling at this time?" _was picked up.

"It's Whitebeard," the Yonko said seriously. He heard shuffling from the snail and assumed Shanks had sat up from his bed or something. "Two brothers are residing on my ship and I think you know who they are. Don't give any specifics as the line could be monitored.

"The younger has been stolen by someone on our crew, that attempted to kill Thatch and frame the older brother. We are at one of your protected islands searching for the traitor. We will do no harm to the civilians, unless they are trying to hide or help the traitor. We don't know who it is yet," Whitebeard explained, pleased that Shanks hadn't interrupted.

"Alright. We'll keep a lookout, as we're now back in the New World. Thank goodness we got here before the trafficking of Fishman Island," Shanks replied. "I'll call you if we hear or see anything."

Whitebeard thanked him, and then the conversation was over. He decided to go inspect Ace and Luffy's room to see if he could get a clue as to who did this horrible thing. The door was ajar. He knew Ace and Luffy usually left it closed. The captain slowly opened the door and turned the light on to see the room was a complete mess. Someone went through the drawers and left them hanging open.

Whitebeard looked around and knew what was missing, as the brothers only had so many personal belongings. The harness and knife were missing. The knife had been used to kill Thatch and planted on Ace, but the harness must've been taken to go with Luffy.

The captain had no doubt Luffy could kill the traitor, regardless of the yami yami fruit. The dragon didn't have a devil fruit, he had real powers. Even Ace would do okay with Teach as he didn't have devil fruit powers, either.

When everyone woke up, there would be a head count to see who was missing. He hoped it was only one person. One son's betrayal was one too many. It was hurting his heart to know that someone in his _family _had tried to kill their brother, and kidnapped a child, because Luffy _was a child. _He was thirteen. That's still a kid, even if he's also a dragon. If only Thatch hadn't found that fruit, though he couldn't place blame on him. Thatch didn't know this would happen.

And how would Ace react to knowing one of them drugged and framed him? Stole the most precious thing in his existence without a word. He might see it as a betrayal of the entire crew. He was suspicious enough as it was. He and Luffy had done nothing wrong, broken no rules, and looked what happened to them.

Whitebeard solemnly walked away from the bedroom after putting things back where they belonged, and headed back to the infirmary. When he entered quietly, he saw the nurses' faces red and angry. Even as Whiskey worked with Thatch, she had a deep scowl on.

"Has something happened, daughters?" Whitebeard asked quietly, though neither patient would wake up even if he was screaming bloody murder.

"Someone _broke into _our storage of medications. Tami is fixing everything right now. Come see," Whiskey snarled and lead him to the side where some doors were. Ones containing filing cabinets of information, storage for medical supplies, and the last, the storage of medications. The lockable handle had been ripped off, so the door couldn't stay closed anymore.

He looked into the small room to see that pills were littered on the floor, along with bottles and containers that were open and mixed together. Whitebeard frowned. Whoever had done this had done it in a hurry.

"What a mess!" Whiskey shouting angrily, throwing her hands up. "Now, we have to sort each pill back into its correct container, which will take a long time considering many of them look the same and we're not prescribing medication that can't be completely cleared as correct. I hope Luffy attacks whoever did this to Thatch and Ace and our infimary. I hope Luffy will come flying back with that stupid traitor stuck in his claws."

Whitebeard watched her in surprise. He knew she had a temper, but this was pretty extreme. But he could understand why. To violate the safest space on the ship, where anyone was welcome to come for any reason if they needed help, felt wrong.

"Ugn…" the heard a low groan from the open area, seeing Ace blink blearily. He shielded his eyes from the bright lights, which Whiskey immediately went and dimmed so Ace could open his eyes more.

"How are you feeling, Ace?" Whiskey asked. Before he could answer, she said, "You'll be feeling a little nauseous for awhile, and too much noise or bright lights will hurt your head. You have to be calm right now, or you won't get better."

"What? What happened?" he asked, cleary having no memory of what happened. After all, he wasn't freaking out about Luffy. Yet.

"We need you to be calm, Ace, while we tell you," Whitebeard said calmly. Ace immediately looked on edge.

"Where's Luffy?" he asked as he sat up and looked around. "Where is he?" the teen demanded. Neither pirate replied for a moment, terrifying Ace. "What happened?"

"We had a traitor on board. He's gone now. What do you remember last?" Whitebeard asked, sitting on the bed next to Ace's.

"I was feeling tired and so me and Luffy went out on deck and fell asleep," Ace replied slowly.

"So you don't remember anything after that?" Ace shook his head. Whitebeard took a deep breath. "The traitor, who is still unknown, stole the devil fruit and tried to kill Thatch," he gestured to the occupied bed that had a curtain around it but the machines were still able to be heard. "And they tried to pin it on you. They drugged you and Luffy, Ace. Planted the murder weapon on you. We know it wasn't you who did it, since you wouldn't have been stupid enough to fall asleep with the murder weapon in your hand.

"And Luffy's missing." Ace's face went white, and Whiskey was fast enough to grab a trashcan and put it under Ace so it caught the vomit.

Luffy… Luffy was gone? Missing? What… he was kidnapped after he and Ace were drugged?

He had a memory of holding Luffy when he was just a baby.

"_Do you love me?"_

_Lots!_

"_Thank you. I love you, too," Ace murmured quietly, picking up his tiny brother and hugging him close. "I promise I'll protect you with my life."_

He broke his promise. Luffy was gone, while he'd been SLEEPING! He started to breathe rapidly in panic. He couldn't live without Luffy and he must be so scared and alone. He thought he could trust these pirates! But they were pirates after all, and what would bring more treasure and riches than selling off a live dragon?

Ace glared at Whitebeard furiously, who shooed Whiskey away and out of the room. "Ace, we didn't all do this to you. This person also tried to kill Thatch. Collectively, we did not attack you. But we're doing our best to find the man and get Luffy back.

"It's a bit hard for this one, Ace. The traitor has Luffy stuck with him in another dimension. We won't be getting Luffy back without the traitor," Whitebeard tried to explain calmly.

"You spiked mine and Luffy's food. _Thatch _is the cook! I _trusted _the cook!" Ace raved.

"Thatch is also laying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life. This wasn't a group decision. It was _one man's _action that caused all of this. Ace, I swear on my life, on my family's life, that I and the commanders were not part of it. You know how much family means to me. I swear that it wasn't all of us," Whitebeard emphasized.

Ace looked down, his face contorting to misery. "I promised him I'd protect him with my life. And now he's gone because I was asleep. I broke my promise to him." Whitebeard put a hand on his shoulder, glad when Ace didn't shove it away.

"We will find the traitor and get Luffy back. We will. We're doing our very best, I promise," the captain said. Ace finally shook off the hand on his shoulder and looked more to the side to where Thatch was supposed to be. He couldn't see him from on the other side of the curtain.

"How is he?" Ace asked, wanting to think of anything other than the empty responses in his head.

Whiskey, feeling it was safe to come back over, said, "He was stabbed by your knife in the back. He's still not in clear waters, but we've at least prolonged his possible death." Ace looked at her in surprise. How she could say something like that so calmly. "I'm a doctor. It's part of the job to stay calm."

Ace laid back down on the bed, doing his best to stay calm and not scream. Luffy was missing. And it wasn't by a Marine, where Ace could just follow them back and save Luffy from a Marine base or HQ. No, this was a pirate, with unknown motivation. He could want to "tame" Luffy, make him a slave, or turn him in. Or, he could just kill him.

Well, _try _to kill him. Killing Luffy would be difficult. Even if Luffy was asleep, stabbing him wouldn't work as the ice automatically protected the user, and his skin was too thick for any bullets. Plus, as a dragon with scaly skin, he couldn't be burned alive, and he could swim and hold his breath for awhile.

All in all, Luffy's freedom was in more danger than his life. No, Ace would find Luffy and save him. They were both going to be free. Free forever.


	13. Long Gone

**Kurosaki Shiro: Thank you! I did well on all my finals and classes this year, so that was nice! And yeah, it's pretty sad to think about how Ace is feeling with Luffy missing. **

**Lupa (your username is super long): <3 <3 <3 <3**

* * *

**Merry Christmas/happy holidays everyone! I had a great Christmas, I hope you all did, too, those who celebrate it. I rode the train to my family's house and was having some major Train to Busan flashbacks. Anyways, here's another chapter. Enjoy~**

* * *

When everyone got up for breakfast, they noticed the commanders were nowhere to be found. None were in the galley, not even the captain. Ace and Luffy were also absent. Usually, they were some of the first to go to breakfast. Did something happen?

They waited while Thatch's sou-chefs worked on breakfast, doing it automatically even if Thatch wasn't there to direct them. They were still cooks, and worked with Thatch, so they could handle making the meal themselves.

The pirates talked and speculated about what had happened. It was an hour after everyone started eating that Whitebeard and Marco entered the room. The other commanders were still searching on the island, but had had no luck so far. It was a big island and Teach could be anywhere.

"Men, I want all of you to line up. We're doing a headcount, and we will explain afterwards," Whitebeard instructed. No one protested, and all lined up in their divisions. The second division was under Marco until they found a good commander for it.

When everyone was counted, only one person was missing, which was a relief to the captain and the first mate. Teach was missing. Was he the one to betray? He had been there for a long time, and he'd thrown away his family for a devil fruit?!

"Marco, go tell the other commanders," Whitebeard commanded, eyes shadowed. Marco left to go relay to all of the baby transponder snails who they were now looking for, fuming. How could Teach do this?

"Pops, what happened?" Darren asked, one of Teach's friends. "Where are the commanders and Ace and Luffy?"

Whitebeard told them all to sit down, and then explained what had happened while they were all asleep. Many of the crew looked devastated with the fact that they were betrayed by someone they considered family. Many, who had been close friends with the traitor, felt personally betrayed. That he cared so little that he attempted to kill Thatch, who could still die.

It was extremely lucky that Marco was awake and had advanced haki. Finding Thatch any later would have no doubt resulted in his death. Permanently. Gone forever. Many were angry that Ace was framed. Well, almost framed. If the commanders knew him a little less, they would not have doubted he did it. Well, that still wouldn't have explained Luffy's absence.

"Ace is in the infirmary with Thatch. No one is to enter the infirmary without permission from a commander or nurse. Not while the medication is not in proper order. Would anyone like to help search for Teach?" Many hands rose up, all of them looking angry. "Division two members are not to help. Just in case someone wants to help him," the captain said seriously. Some of the second division members deflated angrily, wanting to find that traitor that pretended to be their friend, brother. But they understood why that decision was made. And no one protested it. Whitebeard knew what was best.

The search lasted the rest of the day, while those who had not left to search cleaned up the blood. Hours passed and Teach was still not found. But, no one gave up. Anger and hurt fueled them. Plus, they felt bad for Luffy, though that was behind their personal feelings on the matter.

Ace spent the whole day in the infirmary, under the blankets despite not being cold, trying to hide his tears. He'd been informed as to who the traitor was, and he had Luffy. They might already be gone from the island. No one was finding him after all. His baby brother… his baby was gone and so afraid. And Ace still couldn't reach him by the telepathy the two shared.

Whitebeard said the devil fruit was the power of darkness. Luffy wasn't like Ace. He couldn't light his surroundings. What if Luffy was trapped in the dark? He had always hated the dark, though not terrified of it, probably only because he was never alone in it. And now he was.

-x-

Teach had not been found by the end of the day. The pirates had searched the ships that were leaving port, but still didn't find him. They even started going door to door and shop to shop. No trace of him. No one had even seen him. But, where else would he have gone? Did they miss a ship that left or something?

There was no way Teach had made arrangements ahead of time, since Thatch got the fruit just yesterday. What was Teach's plan? Was he just going to wait around until there was a tiny chance they would find the devil fruit?

Marco frowned, sitting down on a bench, trying to think of where the hell Teach had went that would not be found by the hundreds of pirates now searching the island's nooks and crannies. They all eventually went back to the ship for dinner, which was just sandwiches since they were fast and easy.

Ace wasn't present. He didn't want to go without Luffy, and was still feeling the effects of the drugs. Ace was scared. He thought he was invincible. Could he really be poisoned? Now he couldn't say he couldn't be hurt. He'd have to be extra careful with food and drinks from now on. When had Teach had the chance to drug any of the brothers' food or water? It was a scary thought. That this could possibly happen again. And how was Luffy's body reacting to the drugs? Surely, he would have been given quite a bit more than Ace, as Ace was thought to be a regular human.

-x-

Luffy crawled slowly forward into the never ending darkness that pressed on him heavily. He panted as he tried to resist the darkness's crushing weight and pressure. _Ace? _He questioned again in his head. No reply, like it had been for however long he was in there.

The dragon was surprised that he wasn't hungry or thirsty. Just very tired and dull feeling. Was he drugged? How was he taken without being awake to defend himself? Was Ace safe? Luffy had tears in his green eyes, dripping down his face and into the darkness below him.

"_Esca… finally fr… drago… n…" _Luffy heard, the disjointed dialogue from Teach, faint and scratchy. Like he was hearing the words with cotton balls in his ears. He couldn't tell any sense of time or how far the darkness stretched as he crawled. It was completely empty in the void. Alone and empty and silent otherwise the occasional speaking of Teach. That was all he heard. No other noises of what was going on around the one speaking.

Still unable to use his powers in the crushing atmosphere, Luffy finally stopped crawling, and collapsed completely on his side. He couldn't tell if his eyes were opened or closed, since both were full of darkness.

"_Ship… way… stupi… zehah…!"_

Luffy listened as well as he could, trying to figure out what his kidnapper was saying. With the silence and nothing to do other than think, Luffy did his best to come up with a plan on how to get away. He would not stay stuck here. When he was let out, he would escape. That was his only chance. Teach didn't know all of Luffy's powers, thank goodness.

-x-

A few of the commanders had gone to the infirmary to visit Thatch, and saw Ace was facing away from them, completely covered by the blankets on his bed. The lights were dimmed for his sake. They looked at him sadly, but then went back to Thatch, who was on life support. It was still not clear whether he'd make it or not.

No one approached Ace other than Haruta bringing him dinner. He sat up and ate the three sandwiches slowly and sadly, missing Luffy so much. He wondered if Sabo would be mad at him for losing their baby brother.

He grimaced at the news that they'd found no clues to Teach and Luffy. Ace wished he had Luffy's senses so he could just track down Teach by his scent. He smelled bad, so it would have been easy to find him. At least that's what Luffy said.

_Luffy? Can you hear me?_

No response.

It was late soon, and the search was still on. People taking turns between searching and sleeping. Ace wanted to go search, but when he stood up, which he wasn't supposed to do, he got a terrible migraine. He refused to take any medication for it, regardless of how painful it was. He didn't trust any medication from _anyone. _Even if the nurses seemed trustworthy, Ace would be taking _no _medication. No pills, no matter how uncomfortable he was.

-x-

As Luffy fell asleep, he could feel the feeling of sliding back and forth. How being on a ship felt. He didn't wake up from it, but his body knew he was on another ship. Sailing away from Ace and the Moby Dick. He could faintly hear terrible laughter in his dreamless sleep.

-x-

The next day was spent trying to track down Teach, and Izo finally found an answer. He went to the port and questioned the regular sailors and merchants, who hadn't been out while all of the others had been questioned by the pirates.

"Hello. I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for someone. A big man with curly black hair. He has bad teeth and an open shirt with lots of chest hair," Izo said politely.

"Oh, yeah. Saw him yesterday. He boarded a merchant ship in a hurry. Pretty sure he didn't belong, but no one stopped him. Scary looking fella. The ship went west. Don't know much more than that," the fisherman said helpfully.

"What does it look like?" Izo asked, hiding his concern and panic.

"It's a plan ship, really. Only unique thing are the blue sails with a white trim." Izo's jaw was tight as he thanked the man for the information before turning away and walking a small distance to talk over the mini transponder snail.

"This is Izo. Teach is long gone."

-x-

The commanders, captain, and Ace were all in the infirmary, talking about what they should do next. Usually, someone in Ace's position on the crew wouldn't be in a meeting like this, but his brother was with Teach, so he deserved to be there to at least know what they were going to do next.

When he heard that that _asshole- _future _murdered_ asshole- had already left the island over twenty four hours ago, Ace let off so much heat the sheets he was sitting on started burning. "Calm down, Ace," Marco said, gesturing to the burning sheets. Ace dissolved the flames, but the sheets were goners.

Ace grabbed his head, rubbing his temples to try and get rid of the migraine. "Ace, why don't you take some painkillers?" Whitebeard asked.

"_No. _No pills from anyone," Ace replied forcefully. Whitebeard sighed. They had completely lost the little trust that they'd built up with him.

"_Anyways, _we should go to the next island. Marco, the log pose is set, right?" Izo asked. Marco nodded silently, looking down at his comatose friend, anger showing on his face. Then he looked to Ace, who looked angry, too, but looking at his feet over the edge of the bed.

"We'll find him, Ace. And we'll teach that traitor a lesson he won't forget," Marco swore. Ace looked up at him darkly.

"No. I'll _kill _him," the teen growled, eyes flickering with fire. No one argued with him, though they thought they should be the one to do it as he was part of their crew and almost killed their crewmember. That could be figured out later, once they do track him down. No one thought of the fact that Luffy might kill him.

"We'll leave immediately. Ace, will you tell us when you can hear Luffy again?" Whitebeard asked, getting a nod from the fireman.

Haruta gave him a smile, trying to seem reassuring. "We'll get him, and save Luffy. He's tough, right?" Ace nodded. But, he had always been with Luffy. Now that he was alone and probably in the dark, he might not be feeling so strong. Ace just had to hope he remembered that he _was. _He was strong, and tough, and capable of much more than he thought.

Ace knew Luffy thought he was weaker than his brother. That hadn't been proven, and Ace would say that Luffy is stronger, due to his different types of attacks. He had more variation than Ace did, who could just burn or explode things.

"Yeah. He's strong," Ace said in a hard voice. "He'll be okay." It was clear to everyone that Ace was trying to reassure himself with those words. "When can I get outta here?"

Whitebeard looked at him seriously. "When the nurses give the okay. You aren't part of the crew, but the nurses will know what's best for you, and you need to follow what they're saying. You're already refusing pain medication, so I wouldn't refuse anything more if I were you." Ace glowered, but nodded. He couldn't exactly do anything more out of the infirmary than he could in it.

It was supposed to be a week before they reached the next island. And they didn't even know if it was the right way. The merchant ship might have gone a different direction. They could be sailing in the complete opposite way, further and further away from Teach and his hostage.

Everyone knew to keep a look out for a ship with blue sails. It should be easy to spot if in range. Luffy still didn't answer when Ace called. And he didn't know how far apart they could hear each other was. They'd never been so far apart before. The only time that could compare was when Ace went to get food while Luffy stayed in a safe space on the islands before they reached the Moby Dick.

Ace was both angry and thankful about landing on this ship. On the bright side, they had been sheltered, fed and kept safe on the ship, but Ace had also been drugged and framed, with Luffy kidnapped and missing.

He didn't really know how to feel about it anymore. As long as these people help him find Luffy, he wouldn't let his anger take over. They were nice people (most, he hoped), so he didn't necessarily want to hurt them, but all he cared about right now was finding and saving Luffy.


	14. Life Apart

**Lupa: Thank you. :) **

* * *

**I'm going through some bad times right now after breaking up with by previous best friend, but no need to worry as I will keep submitting the chapters on all my stories on time. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy fell asleep and stayed asleep for a very long time. He didn't get hungry or thirsty, as time seemed to stop in the darkness. Yes, he was tired, but that was the only thing that really seemed to be normal. Usually, he'd be starving. He didn't know he'd missed multiple meals while he was in there. If he tried to keep track of time, it would only last so long before his mind wandered and he had to start over.

Sleeping was the only real thing to do in there, as he could barely move and couldn't make contact with Ace or any other creature.

He missed his brother. Very much. Even in his sleep, he was lonely.

-x-

For the next week, Ace had trouble sleeping. They were going towards the next island as fast as they could, but even if that merchant ship _was _at or heading to the island they were, he had over a day of a head start. One day could make or break it. Storms were untimely, and Marine or pirate attacks lost precious time.

No Marines attempted to attack the ship, as Marine bases weren't as common in the New World, but they did run into some idiotic pirates. Ace didn't get to fight, though. He wanted to take out his anger, but he was still feeling the side effects. His non-human body was reacting strangely to the drugs.

The nurses didn't know what was happening with him. The effects had lessened, before they came back, worse than before. They didn't know this for the first two days, as Ace hid it. Kept a straight face no matter what his vision looked like. The drug's effects were supposed to be gone by then, even with his extremely heavy dosage.

No one knew when Ace would be back to normal, and he hated that he had to trust this crew to get things done and find Luffy while he was stuck in the infirmary. But he was sick of it. When it was night time, and the nurses were gone and the lights turned out for the night until it was time to see how Thatch was doing, he sat on the wooden ground. He would will his body to beat the drugs.

He sat on the floor and imagined, if he was made out of flesh and blood, fire coursing through his veins, burning the drug out. He couldn't let an almost lethal dose of sedative hinder him. He'd already wasted over three days being in this room, useless.

It hurt, a lot. And he hadn't been hurt in a long time. When he couldn't handle psychologically burning the drug out, and whatever it was actually doing to his body, he passed out on the floor. It was charred underneath him, but not on fire.

He only woke up when Tami saw him on the ground. She woke him up by saying his name, not trusting to touch the kid in his sleep when he was made of fire and could have a temper. And he was in a perpetual bad mood, extremely stressed which elevated his temper.

"Ace? Ace, are you alright?" she asked in concern. His eyes snapped open and he quickly stood up. He felt fine. Tami tried to get him to stop jumping up and down to test if he felt nauseous, but he just grinned.

"I'm all better. Can I leave now?" he asked, already putting his boots on to leave.

"Wha- what do you mean _all better? _You're very sick! You can't leave yet," she said sternly. But, Ace was sick of being here, and he wasn't about to let her confine him in this place. He'd already spent three days too many in it.

He strode to the lightswitch and flipped it up so the lights were on full force. He looked straight at the lights, which would have left him with a painful headache before. But, now he was fine. He looked back at Tami. "I'm fine. I burned the drugs out."

"What do you mean?" she asked. Ace grew impatient. He wanted to leave! Middle of the night or not, he wanted out.

"I destroyed the traces of the drugs. I don't have a normal body, I have a devil fruit. I should have tried this three days ago," he grumbled the last part. "Shine the flashlight in my eyes if you want, but I'm leaving the infirmary now."

Tami glared at him. "I am the nurse, I know what is in the crew's best health. You are not leaving."

"I'm not normal! You don't know _jack-shit_ about my body or health!" Ace snapped loudly, startling her. "I am leaving, and I am going to my room. I don't exactly have any place other than that to go. Goodbye," he said irritably and left the room. He didn't slam the door closed behind him, mindful for Thatch.

He stomped through the halls and to the room he and Luffy shared. He could finally let go. He wasn't around anyone else, and could lock this door. So, the minute he walked into the room, he burst into tears, and collapsed onto Luffy's mat.

-x-

The next morning, Marco went to see how Ace and Thatch were doing and headed to the infirmary before breakfast. When he entered after gently knocking on the door, he noticed immediately that Ace's strange presence was gone. And when he opened the door, saw that the bed was empty and there was a black scorch mark on the ground between the beds.

"Whiskey? Where's Ace?" Marco asked the nurse replacing Thatch's IV.

"He stormed out last night after saying he burned the drugs out of his body. Tami was less than pleased this morning. Apparently he shouted at her. So, don't say his name in front of her today," the nurse explained calmly as she did her job.

Marco frowned. "Did he get violent? What happened over there?" he asked, pointing to the black spot.

"He didn't become physical. That's where he was sitting when he supposedly burned out the pills. I can see him wanting to leave, but Tami said he was quite rude," Whiskey said.

Marco sighed. "You've got to sympathize with him, Whiskey. His brother is missing, and the crew he had trusted ended up drugging him and stealing away his only family. He's gonna be cranky for awhile."

"_I _know that. I'm just telling you what Tami told me. Honestly, I'm surprised he even stayed for as long as he did. But, at least he seems to be feeling better," the nurse replied calmly. "Tami's just not used to being argued with. After all, we have all of you conditioned to respect us and do what we say. Now, there's a feisty little rebel who can burn the ship to ash if he wants. _Not _that I think he will," Whiskey said when she saw Marco's scowl.

"I'll make sure he is actually feeling better. I'm not gonna force him to come back, so Tami probably won't see him for awhile," Marco said before he walked to his close friend, who was still on life support and would be for awhile.

-x-

Luffy woke up, still in darkness, from the sound of screams. Like the screams were echoing around him inside the dark void he was trapped in. Mostly the screams of men. Luffy shot up into a sitting position. Were the screams of the crew that had been housing him and his brother?

He listened as best as he could, but no voices sounded familiar. Thankfully, he didn't hear anyone close to Ace's voice.

"_South… ant… ind….us! Ze...haha!" _Teach shouted. There were no other sounds anymore. They were changing direction. If Ace and the pirates were going after them, they wouldn't know where Teach was going now. They weren't going the same direction as before. How would Ace find him?! Luffy had to figure out a way to escape soon, but he could do nothing as long as he was in the darkness.

_Ace! Ace, we're going south now! Find me soon, please! _Luffy called, but like usual, no reply. He couldn't contact Ace in any way. He was absolutely helpless.

-x-

Ace didn't want to go to breakfast that day. He didn't want to eat all alone. But, he was hungry. So, he slowly made his way out of his too quiet room and down the halls. The galley was not completely full, and thankfully no one tried talking to him, though he felt their eyes on him briefly, before they went back to conversing or eating.

Ace looked at the food on the table, for once not wanting to scarf it down lightning fast. He slowly sat down and continued to stare at the food. He wondered if Luffy was hungry. Was he being fed? Was he getting enough water?

He lethargically ate his breakfast, and didn't look up when the commanders sat down. Whitebeard came in and sat, and had already been informed of what happened last night in the infirmary. He was able to not react badly to the lights, and didn't look nauseous from moving, so he did seem better. Well enough to be out of the stuffy infirmary. He wished Thatch was able to leave soon.

Ace finished quickly, not having someone to wait for to eat four servings of fruit and vegetables. He left the room without saying anything to anyone. He ignored his "friends" and walked to the head of the ship and sat on the whale's head. It was awfully empty without big Luffy taking up lots of space. There was no one to lean against or rub or purr for him.

It was extremely lonely without Luffy, even though he was surrounded by people. Marco came over, but Ace didn't turn to face him. Just kept looking out at the horizon, willing for there to be no storms. They'd already come across one that they had to sail around, which took up many hours, which they didn't have to spare.

"How are you feeling today?" the first mate asked as he stood behind the teen.

"Fine," Ace answered shortly. Marco didn't push it anymore, which Ace was grateful for. So, Marco changed the subject.

"Make contact with Luffy yet?" he asked. Ace frowned. "If he did I would have told you." Marco sighed quietly. He wished Ace would understand that it was the act of one rotten apple on the ship and not all of them. But, Ace had a right to be distrustful and angry. Nothing would change the fact that Luffy had been stolen by someone on this crew.

"How much longer until we reach the island?" Ace asked.

"Another two days or so, at the soonest." Ace looked down at his crossed legs, hoping so much that Teach had gone to that island. They hadn't come across anything or anyone on their way there, besides one pirate group.

Ace was hoping they would come across Teach's stolen ship, for no one doubted he was now in control of the ship, but he knew that was a long shot. No matter how long it took, Ace would find Luffy!

"Marco, if Teach hasn't gone to the next island, will we still continue to search?" Ace asked. He knew he couldn't search for Luffy by himself. He couldn't fly, and he had no ship or navigational skills. Too bad Sabo wasn't here to help.

"We'll keep looking for the traitor, and find Luffy. It might not be the same for you, but already we see you as family, even if you're not one of pop's sons. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but it's the truth," Marco said seriously. Ace frowned, wondering why they felt this way, but he didn't ask.

"Okay, thanks," Ace said, looking back at the horizon, ending the conversation.

"Don't lose hope, Ace," Marco said before he walked away. Ace vowed not to lose hope. No matter how long it took, he'd reunite with his baby brother. They had hundreds of years to live, plenty of time to find each other. He just hoped it didn't take too long.

-x-

Ace had trouble sleeping now, thinking that Luffy might respond while he slept. But, he needed the sleep, and couldn't help but fall asleep when he was tired. It was something he always did. He and Luffy _always _slept when they were tired. Being sleepy is dangerous. Even more now that Ace knew Luffy got kidnapped while he was asleep, even if it was because he'd been drugged.

They were reaching the island the next day, and Ace was nervous all day, unable to stop pacing back and forth on a spot on the deck, his arms crossed tightly. He kept looking up in front of them every few seconds before looking back at his feet. His body temperature was rising quickly in unease that it was uncomfortable for anyone to be too close to him.

Finally, the island came into view. The crew came out when someone went inside to tell everyone they could see the island. Ace hurried to the ship's head and stood on it, face showing fear. If Teach hadn't come here, they would have to just guess where he went next. They had all assumed he'd had a log pose, and the problem with the New World was that the log pose could go in three different directions. They could have chosen the wrong needle to follow.

They'd have to turn around, or try to. He didn't know if that would work. The log pose had always been confusing logically for Ace and Luffy. When they docked, everyone immediately got off to search for the ship described at the last island where everything went wrong.

Ace jumped off of the ship, not caring about being spotted. It wasn't like he would attract attention much without the dragon. He hurried to each sailor at the docks, and asked them if any merchant ship with the appearance had docked.

His heart plummeted each time every single person said they hadn't seen a ship like that. Ace, face showing physical pain, headed inland, not caring about telling anyone about it. They'd be at the island for awhile, after all. At least one day while supplies are gotten, which was also a reason they were going to come to this island. Mostly medical supplies. They still had a lot of food, especially now that Luffy wasn't there.

Ace stormed straight into the woods, looking for any source of water he could submerge himself in. Hopefully something really cold that would cool him down. He was hot right now, and could tell it was making those he spoke to uncomfortable, as they were sweating heavily by the end of the conversations.

He found a stream that lead to a basin of water. He immediately took off his clothes besides boxers and jumped in, letting off copious amounts of steam. He took a deep breath and swam to the bottom, which wasn't especially deep. He just laid on the rocky bottom and looked up at the blurry rays of sunlight filtering through the water.

The water boiled around him. It wasn't cooling him off very well. But, no one would find him here or interrupt him. Or see his tears that he'd been holding back for as long as he could. He didn't want to cry in his and Luffy's room since someone might hear him, and think he was weak.

He wouldn't be weak in front of these pirates. He wasn't going to give them another chance to do something to him. It had scared him badly, knowing he could be poisoned. It was a weakness that all on the crew knew about now. He hoped Luffy hadn't reacted to it as badly as he had.

He was under the water for ten minutes before he surfaced to take another breath and went back down. His tears still mixed with the hot water. He felt utterly weak. No one bothered him while he was there, and it was dark out by the time he left, as he had eaten almost all of the fish in the large basin of water. They were burned and crunchy, but filled him. It reminded him of Luffy's first, crappy meal. But he had said the charred meat was yummy.

He went back to the ship for dinner, because hunting by himself would make him too sad. He warmed himself so the water on his skin and underwear evaporated and walked back to the ship.

Whitebeard was on his chair on deck in the nice weather, seeming to almost be waiting for Ace to come back. And the teen looked grumpy when he jumped onto the ship and walked inside. He didn't say a word to anyone as he just walked to the galley to sit down and quietly eat. But, the others wanted to talk to him, regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

"Where did you go all day?" Izo asked, keeping the suspicion and anger of not being told where he was out of his voice.

"Out. Wanted some alone time," Ace replied as he shoved mashed potatoes in his mouth. The chefs were good at making food, but it didn't have the presentation that Thatch's did. He hoped the head chef would get better soon. As soon as possible. But, maybe if Thatch got better, they'd have no reason to look for Teach anymore. Thatch wouldn't be dead and therefore no avenging.

Ace didn't want Thatch to die, not at all. He just hoped that if Thatch lived, they'd still look for Teach and rescue Luffy.


	15. Finally Making Contact

**Lupa: :)**

* * *

**I've been drawing so much lately that writing has become second place in fun things to do. I have all my stories finished, so don't worry about that. If anyone wants to check out my art (the more recent stuff) I have a deviantart account under the same name. Anyways, a bunch of stuff happens in this chapter. Enjoy the long chapter~**

* * *

Luffy was still in the dark, over a week after taken. It had gotten old, and not scary anymore since there was nothing or no one around. That was, until a bright light came, and he glimpsed the outside world. Immediately, he called, _ACE! HEADING SOUTH! _before the light shut out.

He saw who had entered, as he brightened up the space a bit. Teach. His kidnapper. But, Luffy had a plan on how to act. He would take things slow, as he had one chance of getting out. If he failed at running away, he'd never be let out of this black prison.

"Hey, _Luffy," _Teach sneered. He smelled bad again. Luffy, acting like a scared, helpless, baby dragon, whimpered and backed away theatrically. "Not so tough without your big brother here, huh?" Luffy's lips wobbled, his eyes watery.

Teach kept walking towards him, and stood right in front of him. Luffy didn't try and attack him now, since he might not have any way to get out if he killed Teach while inside. "I always knew you were just a dumb animal."

Luffy did his best not to snarl. He wouldn't take the bait. He was a scared, helpless _animal _after all. And, without Ace there to translate, and show that Luffy was intelligent, he really was just an animal. No proof to show otherwise. "Now, you better behave for us, or we'll find Ace and kill him. My devil fruit is stronger than his. Understand?" Teach growled.

The dragon almost scoffed. Like this loser could kill Ace. Even if this was some sort of fancy devil fruit, Ace was practically invincible. Teach, having only just gained his power, would be no match for a very angry, part-dragon, fire wielder. But, he had to pretend, no matter how irritating or how humiliating his act was.

Luffy frantically shook his head as he cowered. "You're going to do what I say, when I say it. I might even let you out into a cage when I acquire one. And look what I got?" he said as he dangled the harness that the shipwrights had helped make better in front of his face.

_NO. _Teach would _not _fly on Luffy. First of all, the guy was too fat for Luffy to carry, and second of all, Luffy wasn't just a means of transportation for anyone. He only let Ace fly because he was his brother, and it was the only way they could make it anywhere. No, Luffy would not let Teach ride him.

Well, if he did, Luffy could always just drag him under the water, as Luffy could swim and hold his breath. Plus, Teach was a fruit user. He'd drown. Luffy nodded. That he would behave. Teach grinned and then opened up the black space again, leaving it open for a few seconds as he was now convinced he had Luffy in a hold by threatening Ace.

_-Uffy?! Where are you?! _he heard Ace's panicked voice, though there was also relief. _Are you okay?!_

_I'm o- _but the portal closed after a large fish was thrown in at Luffy's feet. At least he finally got some food after however long it had been since he woke up in there. At least he got to contact Ace, and he sounded fine. He wasn't hurt. Luffy hadn't been able to give him much information, but the general direction of where the ship was heading. For now, that is.

Luffy tried contacting Ace again, but was once again trapped all alone in silence. He'd wait for the next time the portal would open.

-x-

Ace sat on the deck, staring out at the sea before suddenly, he heard the echoes of who he wanted to talk to most. _ACE! HEADING SOUTH!_

Ace leapt up, but when he replied, there was no answer back. He began to breathe heavily. Heading south? That was the opposite direction they were heading! He continued to try and make contact as he ran to Whitebeard on his throne.

He surprised him by grabbing onto the captain's pants. "South! Teach is heading south!" he shouted desperately. Immediately, Whitebeard stood and ordered the ship be turned around and go south. Ace stood still, and closed his eyes trying to focus.

_Luffy?! Where are you?! Are you okay?!_

There was no answer as he repeated the questions.

_I'm o- _but he was cut off, and no more replies came. "I'm o-"? He hoped the death it was going to be "I'm okay". Luffy was alive! And he was coherent, so the drugs hadn't hurt him too badly. Not like Ace was at first, unable to even think straight.

Marco and Izo ran to Ace. "Did you get to talk to Luffy?" Izo asked. Ace's back was turned to them, but he didn't want them to see the tears in his eyes, so he nodded, pulled his hat down to shadow his eyes, and walked away. Izo frowned, about to go after him, but Marco stopped him by grabbing his arm. They both watched Ace head back into the ship, shoulders hunched.

"He was crying, wasn't he?" Izo asked.

"Probably. But, we now have a direction to go, even if it's extremely vague. What islands are south of here?" Marco questioned Hauta, who had walked up after seeing Ace's demeanor.

"I'll go look," the youngest commander said, and hurried to the map room. He ran through the halls, and found the captain in the map room, already looking for the information. He turned after feeling and hearing Haruta come in.

"There are multiple islands in that direction. And I'm concerned a bit. We don't know how long they will be heading south, but you know what is south of here, don't you?" Whitebeard asked in a dark voice.

Haruta's eyes widened. "Teach isn't stupid enough to go there. He knows better to go _there."_

"What about if Luffy escapes? He doesn't exactly have a compass, and he's very far from us. He might not be able to smell the ship after being so far from it. We haven't even been over there since the brothers arrived. I did warn him about it, but he's a kid. Kids like candy, especially one who can smell it from miles away."

Haruta looked unsettled. "We'll have Ace tell him to not follow the smell next time he's able to make contact."

Whitebeard nodded. Then he grinned. "But Luffy isn't dead, and that's good enough for now." Haruta nodded along, and the two went to gather the commanders and Ace for a meeting. Whitebeard had been the one to find Ace, who was in his room with the door locked. Everyone of the commanders could assume what Ace was doing, holed up alone in his and Luffy's room. After all, he had finally made contact with his beloved brother.

Only to have him disappear again in the middle of a word. It could be both relief and sadness that he was crying alone. Whitebeard knocked on the door lightly. "Ace, we're having a meeting about the search for Teach and Luffy. We'd like you to be a part of it," the man explained through the locked door.

It was a few seconds before Ace opened the door, looking completely composed. "Alright," was his answer as he silently followed the captain to the meeting room. Ace had been sitting at the empty chair for second division commander, which had been an empty position for quite awhile.

It was laughable that Teach had been asked if he wanted the position. They all wondered how they could have not seen he was rotten long before he showed it himself.

"Ace, can you tell us what Luffy said?" Marco started. Ace felt uncomfortable really, being under the eyes of each commander all at once. And he felt out of place in this room. He wasn't part of the crew yet he was welcome in the meetings? Well, the meetings concerning Teach.

"I was just sitting outside when he suddenly screamed that they were heading south. He didn't reply for a little bit until he replied to me asking if he was okay and where he was. He didnt even get to finish saying 'I'm okay' before he was gone again," Ace explained. "That's all there was to it. I couldn't hear anything going on around him. Just a sentence and that's it. Haven't heard from him since."

Haruta rolled out a map onto the long table. "We're here," he said and put a little ship figurine on one spot of the large map. "South of here are multiple islands. Teach could stop at any of them, _except these ones. _Teach may be an evil idiot who betrayed the Yonko's crew, but he isn't a dumbass. He won't go to Totto Land. But, if and when Luffy escapes, he won't know which way to go. He might end up flying into territory he really doesn't want to."

Ace's eyes widened. "The place that Big Mom lives at?" he asked, remembering everything Whitebeard had told the brothers about her and her crew.

"Yeah. You've got to warn Luffy the next time you can communicate to not follow the smell of candy or sugar. And that he'll know when he passes into the territory once he smells strong scents of food. It's also dangerous to go that way due to the sea. I don't know how Luffy reacts to scalding water, but the sea before reaching Totto Land boils, with poison fish and no sea kings. If he eats a fish, well, we don't know how he'll react to poison, if he could even touch the boiling water in the first place, so he would be best off _completely _avoiding all of Totto Land's islands," Marco explained emphatically. "It's very important that he knows this."

Whitebeard said, "Even before you ask him any questions the next time you make contact, tell him to avoid the smells of sugar and sweets."

Ace nodded. "I'll tell him when I can."

-x-

Luffy had bad luck. Each time food or water was given to him, it was when he was asleep, and therefore unable to contact Ace, though there was no new information to tell. Teach seemed to be the only person on the ship they were on, so he heard no conversations and Teach had no reason to speak if no one else was there.

There was no helpful blurbs of speech like the one before. It was deathly quiet, and Luffy hated not knowing what was happening around him. We're there bad guys around? What would happen if Teach died and Luffy was still stuck in black limbo? Would he be trapped there forever.

So, he decided he wouldn't sleep. But, of course that was impossible. And really, sleeping was all he could do while in the world of extreme boredom. While awake and nothing happening, Luffy began to wonder if being dead was like this. Was he actually dead, and there was just nothing in the after life but empty blackness?

After all, there was no sound, and he never got hungry, so maybe the feeding was just part of his imagination in a world where nothing happens.

It was four days of missing his chances that Teach decided to interact with him. And by interact, he meant being a complete asshole. Luffy was asleep when Teach entered, lighting up the void with his presence, even though he had no light source on him. He kicked Luffy awake. Luffy groaned, still sleepy, and put his hands over his eyes. He was kicked again.

The dragon had to control himself, for a knee jerk reaction to being touched without permission would be to freeze their feet in place or trip them, showing that he wouldn't tolerate being abused and not do anything to retaliate. But, he had to cooperate for his hopeful plan to work.

He put on the afraid face with Teach standing in front of him. He purposely stayed down low, since if he stood, his head would reach Teach's neck. Still smaller, but in no way intimidated by the couple more inches. Luffy really wanted to freeze him and get some more sleep in the stressful situation.

"You know, I thought you were an interesting thing for awhile, but now I can see you're just a coward, hiding in the shadow of your stupid big brother. And I was almost worried you had _good _instincts. But, if you did, you wouldn't be here, at my mercy, would you?" Teach sneered. "Well, anyways, I'm here to see how you feel. You WILL be honest with me.

"I only just got the fruit I've been looking for. What is it like being stuck in here?" Luffy couldn't exactly speak, so he had no way to reply. He was kicked in the jaw. It didn't hurt, as it wasn't a strong kick and the ice automatically blocked it, but he wanted to rip Teach's leg off for that.

"Do you get hungry?" Luffy nodded. He didn't, but he liked food and would want to keep getting some. "Do you get thirsty?" The dragon nodded again. "Are you cold in here?" Luffy shook his head. It wasn't cold or hot. "Is there any sound?" Luffy shook his head, which was half true. It was _usually _silent. Not his blurbs of speech Luffy could barely make sense of.

"So, you're perfectly fine and safe in here?"

Luffy didn't know how to answer this. If he said yes, then there would be no reason he'd be set free at all. He shook his head. "No? Then what's wrong in here, dragon?" Luffy had no way to communicate, which irritated him. "Zehahaha, is it frustrating not being able to speak without Ace? Just shows how you're completely useless without him. Without your brother, you're just another dumb animal. Should be at a mythical zoo or something."

Luffy glared at him, the corners of his mouth twitching. Teach just summarized Luffy's main insecurity. It pissed him off to hear an enemy say that to him. It was one thing when Ace said it, for he was reassuring his baby brother that he wasn't useless alone. Here, this jackass was rubbing it in Luffy's face.

He wanted to snap back that he at least didnt need to rely on a stupid friut to be powerful. That Luffy could swim perfectly fine and not drown. Luffy's glare earned him another kick to the jaw. "Weakling," Teach said, and left. The moment the portal opened, Luffy called, _Ace!_

_Whatever you do, don't follow the smell of candy! _And then the sound was cut off. Smell of candy? Did Ace think he could get away? His brother had such faith in him? However, Luffy wasn't much without Ace. Damn that Teach, getting inside his head so easily!

Well, at least now he had something helpful to know. Don't follow the smell of candy. He wouldn't, not when it was important enough for it to be the first and only thing Ace relayed to him. Luffy was back in the darkness, another fish in front of him. He wondered if Teach had any clue that Luffy was still able to reach Ace when not trapped in the dark.

-x-

Ace was eating lunch when he heard _Ace! _Immediately, surprising himself, he responded with the warning. He was proud that he'd responded so quickly, and hadn't asked if Luffy was alright. Then, he was gone. At the table, he told the commanders he was able to warn Luffy about not following the scent of candy.

Some of them sighed in relief. Hopefully, Luffy would heed the warning. Whitebeard smiled. Ace didn't, but was clearly relieved. He ate faster, so he could leave sooner. Probably wanted some alone time again. No one thought he was weak when they assumed he left to be emotional without witnesses.

After all, some of them hid in their own rooms, lamenting Thatch's condition. He was still on life support, two weeks after the ordeal. Two weeks of sailing and chasing someone they might never catch up to.

Two weeks of stress for everyone. Now, they were just headed south. Towards any islands near, though there was the chance that they would go to the wrong island. With this situation, everyone missed the Paradise log pose. It was easier to use, and follow the islands in one order and one way to go.

Now, they had to guess and hope they were lucky.

That night, Ace had a strange dream. He was in the dark, until a light appeared a few yards away. Teach appeared and stood in front of Ace. He was seeing as if he was there. He was kicked in the jaw, his head barely moving to the side no matter how hard the kick had been.

"_Zehahaha, is it frustrating not being able to speak without Ace? Just shows how you're completely useless without him. Without your brother, you're just another dumb animal. Should be at a mythical zoo or something," _the traitor taunted Ace. He felt extremely angry, but then suddenly calm. Then, Ace woke up.

Ace was convinced it hadn't been a dream, but a memory. Of Teach being cruel to his baby brother. He wanted to kill him even more than before, which seemed like it'd be impossible. He stormed out of the bedroom, so hot that he knew anything he touched right now might char or melt or catch on fire. He had to cool down.

He headed to the bathhouse, and locked the door behind him. It was 3 AM, and not even the cooks were up yet. He stripped and then filled the smaller tub with cold water. The large one was always warm, and Ace needed cold at the moment.

The second he stepped in, steam erupted into the air. It billowed more once all of him was in the cold water, which rapidly grew warmer. It evaporated quite a bit due to the copious amount of steam. He tried to think of good things, but then a memory came that just made him sad.

_Two year old Luffy rolled around in a puddle of mud. _Bath now? Bath?! _he cheered, having made himself dirty on purpose. Sabo and Ace chuckled._

"_You don't need to get purposely dirty if you want a bath," Ace said. Luffy's eyes were wide, surprised at this. Then he smiled and jumped up and down._

Bath! _he exclaimed happily, running around his brothers' legs. Ace picked him up and held him out._

"_Yes, it's bath time," he said and carried the baby to the stream, which he sat down in his underwear, heating the water around him, with Luffy plopped down in his lap. He didn't enjoy the cleaning part, just the feeling of being rubbed in the hot water. Ace rubbed his hands on Luffy to get the mud and dirt off of his thick black skin._

_Luffy began to purr, his eyes closed and smiling contently. He kneaded Ace's calf happily. Sabo watched with a fond smile._

Ace opened his eyes from the memory, wearing a smile, but having tears in his eyes. He really hoped Sabo wasn't in heaven and angry with him. "Sabo, I swear I'll get him back safe and sound," he vowed in the silence. The water was no longer steaming, and he was back to his usual temperature.

He drained what was left of the water in the tub and dried himself before getting dressed and heading to the library instead of his and Luffy's room. It was too quiet without Luffy's deep breathing. And it was too quiet in his own head. He missed Luffy's presence in his. He pulled out a random book from one of the shelves and sat on one of the couches to read. He couldn't go back to sleep and didn't want to after that "dream" or memory, he wasn't sure.

Everyone noticed at breakfast that Ace looked tired. And the rest of the day as well. He stayed at the railing, reading random books that he seemed to not make any progress in. Marco finally went over to see if he was alright after ten minutes of him staring at the same page. He wouldn't exactly be interrupting him reading, anyways.

The first mate sat down next to Ace, though not too close. "Are you okay? You look exhausted," Marco said quietly. He was surprised when Ace answered truthfully.

"Bad dream," he replied simply.

"Want to talk about it?" Ace sighed.

He looked up at the little clouds floating around in the sky, wishing Luffy would suddenly appear. "I don't think it was a dream. I think I saw one of Luffy's memories. It seemed real. He was in the dark before Teach appeared and kicked him in the face, and taunted him about some insecurities. When I woke up, I went to try and take a cold bath to cool down and not burn everything around me. It worked well enough," Ace replied, not even lying about him taking a bath despite supposed to be being a devil fruit user.

When Marco didn't comment on that, Ace stared at him seriously. "I have a question," he said, surprising Marco and speaking before he could reply to Ace's memory dream.

"What is it?" Marco asked.

"You all know I don't have a devil fruit, don't you?" He had a flat voice, like he already knew the answer. Marco looked up.

"Yeah, we do. Only the commanders. Someone saw you swimming once," Marco answered truthfully. Ace didn't react in the way he thought he would.

"Well I'm glad no one has pestered me about it for awhile," he said, and put his hat on, which had been hanging off of his neck. Marco switched the subject back to Ace's memory dream.

"Did you see anything useful for finding him in the memory?" he asked. Ace shook his head. It had been a useless dream that had only made him angry. He just hoped he'd have more and get some clues. Heading south was just much too vague.

They would be reaching an island the day after the next. Had Teach stopped there? It was a big town. He might switch boats, though he didn't have much money since he hadn't stolen any. They had checked the treasure room and only a small handful of gold coins were taken. It was stupid on his part, but stolen money might have been suspicoious. After all, Teach was supposed to have gotten away without a trace with Ace being seen as guilty for the attack.

-x-

Luffy glowered in the darkness, angry with Teach and that he had to play this weak role. He wanted to do nothing more than make him pay for his words and kicks. He listened as best as he could for _anything. _Anything helpful or informational.

It was very hard to tell time in the void, so he just slept when tired. Teach hadn't brought him any food in what felt like days, maybe weeks. He missed Thatch's food and fresh fruits and vegetables he'd never gotten before living on the Whitebeard's ship.

Luffy had no idea about Thatch being attacked, or Ace being drugged. He just thought he'd been kidnapped somehow, out of Ace's control. He didn't have the time to ask for the whole story as he only had seconds to exchange one sentence with Ace. Luffy knew he was looking for him, with or without the pirates' help.

Suddenly, Luffy heard the voice of someone else. Another man, with another strange laugh. Teach had left the crew, so was he trying to form his own now? What was his objective?

"_Weehahahaha! A dragon… say…? Le… see," _the other voice said. Then, the darkness opened up and Teach walked in with a large fish, and threw it at Luffy's feet. Considering Teach thought Luffy still needed food, he clearly didn't care enough about his health to feed him regularly.

Another man was with Teach, one a little bigger than the kidnapper, and much more muscular compared to the fat traitor. He walked right up to Luffy, unafraid. Probably because Teach had told him Luffy was weak, and Luffy had just been asleep or something.

"This is the dragon? Thought he'd be more intimidating, weehahahaha!" the man said. "You look like a fun one to mess with." Luffy narrowed his eyes at him as he scarfed down the large fish. A bowl of water was also given to him, which he gulped down quickly.

The new guy, Burgess as Teach called him, walked up close to Luffy and grabbed his face. Oh, how easy it would be to bite this guy's head off. Teach that traitor a lesson, but not yet. He would, but not yet.

Luffy pulled his head out of Burgess's large hand. He was poked in the eye, though the ice covered it right in time. "Oh? That's interesting," Burgess said, and punched down on Luffy's head. Luffy couldn't control the ice that protected him from the blows.

The ice continued to shield Luffy's body as the attacks continued. He wasn't hurt at all by the end. And Burgess just laughed about it. Neither man knew that Luffy was conversing with Ace this whole time.

-x-

_Ace! We stopped at an island, and a new guy is here, Burgess! _Luffy called while Ace was reading.

_Luffy! Are you okay? Are you being hurt? _Ace frantically asked. He could feel the anger in Luffy's words as he said, _The new guy keeps trying to hit me. They're both really mean._

Ae grabbed a pen off the desk and flipped to the last page of the book and jotted down notes. _What does he look like?_

Both brothers were staying remarkably calm even though they finally got to speak after days of not. _Bigger and more muscular than Teach. Cleft chin, wears a mask and has long purple hair, _Luffy replied. _I'm doing my best to act weak, but I just want to rip both of their heads off!_

Ace sighed, completely understanding why Luffy would want to. _You have a plan?_

_Yeah. I don't know where we are. I think we're back to the sea. But, now that there's more than one person, Teach will be talking more. I could probably get more information… I miss you. And I miss Thatch's food. I don't like the dark, Ace. It's too quiet, and boring._

Ace flinched when Luffy mentioned Thatch. That was right, Luffy didn't know. Well, Ace wouldn't tell him and make him even more stressed. _I miss you so much, too. I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. _Ace had to stop his sniffles, not wanting to cry anymore. At least not when he was talking to Luffy, who might figure out he was tearing up.

_How long have I been gone? It's impossible to tell time in here._

_A little over three weeks, _Ace replied.

_Feels so much longer. They're leavin- _and he was cut off. Ace covered his face with his shaking hands. Luffy was being hit. Of course, it wouldn't hurt him, but still, it made Ace's blood boil and he had to leave the room so the books were singed by the heat he was giving off.

He stormed down the halls and back to the bathroom, his heat burning everyone he passed. He walked past Rayuko, who asked him what was wrong. All Ace replied was a growl of, "Later," and he kept walking. Rayuko watched him enter the bathroom and heard the door lock.

It wasn't later that steam started coming out from under the door. He was surprised Ace didn't even try to hide the fact he was taking a bath while supposedly having a devil fruit, which would probably make him drown in the big bathtub.

Ace submerged himself under the water, laying down on the bottom and looking at the ceiling through the rippling water above him. Like last time, the tub soon was filled with hot water instead of cool. No one bothered him for awhile, which he was thankful for. He honestly wasn't even trying to pretend he was a devil fruit user anymore. The commanders already knew he wasn't, and the others would all be too afraid to ask Ace anything about it.

After his long bath, he went and found Whitebeard out on deck. Ace was perfectly dry, no trace of ever taking a bath on him. The captain saw his serious, more than usual, expression and donned one himself.

"Teach has a new friend. Name is Burgess, and he's bigger than Teach is. I wrote down some of the stuff he was telling me, but had to leave it in the library so the pages didn't catch on fire."

"Is Luffy okay?" Whitebeard asked, gaining points for Ace for asking first about the safety of his baby brother. Ace scowled.

"They're trying to hit him, and he's stuck in the dark most of the time. He has a plan; he's going to act like the weak _animal _Teach says he is so he has the element of surprise. Luffy hadn't shown Teach all of his powers, thankfully.

"He said that they had stopped at an island but were back on the sea relatively quickly. He doesn't know what direction or where they're going. He also didn't say anything about the dickhead getting a new ship. Luffy says he'll try and listen for any more information," Ace finished. Whitebeard nodded his head.

"Well, any new information is good, even if its not substantial. Next time he gets in touch with you, tell him we're doing our best to find him," the captain said. Ace gave a small smile and nodded his head.

-x-

When the crew reached the next island, after a long two days, everyone immediately and quickly got what was needed and were back on the ship not five hours later. Ace and Marco had gone around the docks, asking about a ship with blue sails with two big men on it. They had very little luck with what direction they had headed, as the one guy who talked to them hadn't been interested enough to watch where they went.

The only real information they got was that the same ship that docked also left with the same man on it. The Moby Dick set off to the nearest island, blindly sailing on, hoping they'd reach one of the needles that would get them closer to Luffy or at least closer to answers and helpful information.


	16. Escape

**chickie434: Our favorite future glimpsing Charlotte will not be here for a long while (not a spoiler as it's in the tags). A long, long while. Next up is another enemy that everyone hates. Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Some happiness in this chapter before things get dark again and we meet some familiar enemies in later chapters. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy was woken up by the entrance of Burgess, his loud and obnoxious laughter cutting through the dragon's pleasant dream like a knife. Luffy didn't stand up, not needing to and not having the energy under the crushing darkness, which didn't seem to bother Burgess.

"Y'know, dragon, Captain told me something interesting about your brother and what happened after you were taken," Burgess taunted. Luffy listened, but already knew Ace was alive and well, so whatever this man was going to try and hang over his head wouldn't work.

"Captain stabbed the chef, and framed Ace for it. Weehahahaha! He drugged both of you to the point of where a normal person would fall into a coma. He planted the murder weapon on Ace, and then stole you while you were both passed out." He smirked when he saw Luffy's eyes widen in fury.

Luffy couldn't stop himself from snarling and standing up threateningly. It surprised Burgess, but he didn't back down. Embarrassingly, Luffy was the one who had to back down. He couldn't blow his cover, so he put on an act, and made himself cry, pretending like he didn't want to hear anymore by putting his hands over where his ears were.

"Bet the stupid chef is dead. And soon, Whitebeard will be dead, too! We'll steal his power and then kill him. Weehahahaha!" he laughed. Luffy's eyes widened, but he was able to hide his smile. Maybe this guy would be good at giving up important information. Arrogance will be his downfall. Luffy wondered if Teach would kill this guy for doing something like this.

Probably, since he apparently stabbed Thatch, someone who considered themselves family for many years. Luffy was a bit angry, but with Ace for not telling him about Thatch being stabbed. God, he hoped his favorite pirate was still alive.

The moment Burgess was let out, the darkness opening to show it was night time, Luffy shouted, _ACE! TEACH WANTS TO STEAL WHITEBEARD'S POWER AND THEN KILL HIM! _There was no time for Ace to respond, but Luffy hoped he had been awake to hear it. It was important information to know, finally something concrete.

Luffy went to sleep, more content knowing he was helpful, trying to drown out the worry and anger about Teach's plan. How he used Ace to take the blame for a crime he wouldn't have committed, even if he had secretly hated Thatch. He did nothing wrong.

Both Ace and Luffy had killed, even before the Mary Geious Massacre, but they wouldn't kill someone who was kind and good to them. He and Luffy had never killed anyone innocent. At least not that Luffy knows of.

-x-

Ace was asleep, laying on Luffy's mat again, when he was startled awake with _ACE! TEACH WANTS TO STEAL WHITEBEARD'S POWER AND THEN KILL HIM! _He shot up from the bed and ripped the covers off. Ace didn't hesitate to run out of the room, leaving the door wide open, and down the halls to the commander's quarters, with the captain's door at the end of the hall.

As far as Ace knew, there was no way someone could have two devil fruits at the same time, let alone steal one from another person. He had to think that, Teach or that Burgess guy, had too big a mouth for his own good. But, they finally had some good information, and knew some of what Teach's plan was all along.

First, to kill his crewmate and then attempt to kill his captain? Former captain. Ace banged his fist obnoxiously on the door. It didn't take long for the massive door to open and Whitebeard look sleepy and a bit grumpy, until he saw Ace's face, which was very serious.

He got right to the point. "Teach is planning on somehow stealing your power and then killing you." Whitebeard's eyes widened in shock. He looked at the clock in his room. 5 AM. That was late enough for an immediate captain's meeting.

He walked past Ace without a word and knocked on each commander's bedroom door, waking all of them, equally grumpy and tired until they saw who had knocked. Once everyone was in their open doorways, Whitebeard told them that Ace had some important information than needed to be told.

"We need to talk. Somewhere no one else will hear. I'm sorry to wake you up so early, but it is important," the captain said and lead the way to the meeting room, Ace following last, still not used to being included in the important meetings. Well, at least some of them.

Once they were all sat, each one yawning at least twice, Whitebeard turned to Ace to explain what he'd heard.

"Luffy told me that Teach, and this Burgess guy, whoever the asshole is, is planning on someone how stealing the captain's powers and then killing him afterwards." The room was quiet for a moment as it sunk in before angry exclamations filled the room.

"I can't see Teach saying something like that, so I'm going to assume it was his new crew member spewing important information like it's nothing," Marco said calmly, though he was also quite angry.

"Calm down, sons," Whitebeard said.

"Big Mouth Burgess," Ace muttered to himself, sure no one heard him until Haruta burst into laughter. The others looked at him in surprise. They were talking about _someone wanting to KILL pops, _and Haruta was laughing. Jozu glared at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked sharply.

"I just never knew Ace had such a sense of humor," Haruta laughed. Ace looked uncomfortable now, having just muttered it to himself, not thinking everyone else would hear it. He knew Luffy would have laughed. He was blushing. "Now we have Burgess's pirate name: 'Big Mouth Burgess'." Ace shoved his shoulder, not wanting to seem like he'd thought it was a funny conversation. But then Whitebeard laughed, loud and long.

"That's quite clever," he said, barely being able to stop addressing Ace as "son" at the end, no matter how much he wanted to. Izo snickered, and Ace hid his face in his hands.

"Can we please move on?" he grumbled, embarrassed. The others took pity on him and moved on, though Haruta kept snickering at Ace. His face was red, which actually caught Whitebeard's attention. It had been impossible for Ace to have any blood drawn, yet he blushed. Interesting.

"I'm gonna assume Luffy will soon find out what happened. Or what Teach had planned to happen. He must think Thatch is dead, and that we killed Ace, who was supposed to be the one who kill Thatch. Ace, you gotta assure Luffy that Thatch is alive next time you're able to talk to him," Marco said. Ace looked at the table, touched by Marco and how considerate he was. How they all were.

"Why… why do you guys like me and Luffy? Aren't we just using you all for protection from the government?" Ace asked in a quiet voice, openly confused.

"Well, you two are likable. Plus, Luffy saved the lives of everyone on this ship. Without him, we would have all been killed by that tsunami. You two are interesting, and not just because one is a dragon and the other is different, too. As people you're interesting. And it's hard not to care about the wellbeing of someone like Luffy. Clearly good and kind, especially knowing that he is a dragon and has not hurt anyone for pushing at him and crossing personal boundaries.

"It's hard not to like you two, and the reason you pulled off the event was to avenge your brother. A real risk for the sake of a loved one. Family is important to all of us. Well, besides Teach that is," Marco explained.

"But… we lie to you all of the time," Ace admitted.

"Well, that's your choice, whether to tell the truth or not, but none of your lies has harmed anyone else. You're both good kids. It's just clear to everyone. And of course we'll save someone we see as one of us, whether the feeling is mutual or not."

Ace looked at the table again, though more darkly. "You wouldn't like us if you knew everything," the teen replied.

"And not everything is our business. What or who both of you are are your business's. You're still always welcome to stay as long as you wish, or indefinitely," Whitebeard said. Ace didn't reply, and stayed silent. He didn't know what to say. And he wouldn't make a decision like that without Luffy.

"We won't know anything else for a few hours, so why don't we all go back to bed. We'll see each other in the morning," the captain said, everyone agreeing, realizing again how tried they were, as they all went back to their rooms and to bed, Ace branching off in a different direction to go to his storage room/bedroom.

-x-

Burgess didn't come back to see Luffy in a couple days, while some fish were thrown to him, not giving enough time for him to reach out to his brother and ask about Thatch. It was very quiet and boring. He had no new information about how Teach was planning on stealing his old captain's devil fruit and then taking his life.

He was laying on his side, staring at the black around him with a bored and dazed expression. He had also not heard any speaking from beyond the void, which irritated him. Teach and Burgess must have been speaking at least _a little._

But, a month had passed, and Luffy was finally slipping. He wanted to go home. Home was with Ace. He missed Ace so much, his big brother. His life. He was so lonely that it made him feel ill. He felt so disconnected from reality in the blackness, and could only look forward to someone coming in and doing _anything _to relieve the boredom.

He'd rather be being teased and mocked than just stuck in the silence. At least being teased or mocked would make him feel anything other than sad and empty. He also missed the mat he had to sleep on. And he missed being able to use his powers. It was impossible to do anything in here besides the primal reaction to protect its user with the ice. He couldn't use any of his other powers, which would at least alleviate the boredom.

He also wished he had a clock. Days blended together. All there was was the present since Luffy couldn't tell the past or future in there. He hated it so much. He hated Teach and Burgess. And Luffy couldn't wait to get away and kill the traitor and his "friend".

Luffy wondered how many more people would join this tiny crew while he was still imprisoned. Ideally, Luffy would get away with just two of them. He didn't want to have to face multiple people like Teach. And he still didn't know why he was taken in the first place. In his opinion, the most likely choice would be to sell him. Luffy would pull up a lot of money. He was a mythical creature, after all. That would also be the best case scenario because then he wouldn't _need _to fight to get out. He'd have to be let out of the darkness and into a cage to be sold.

It had only been a month, but it had _already _been a month. Luffy had no real idea what was going to happen to him, and he wasn't able to ask. He really wished he could speak like full humans could. He had never been more envious of Ace's ability to speak than he was now.

Luffy raised his head once he finally heard something other than his own boring thoughts. A new voice. Luffy couldn't tell where he was, whether he was on a ship, or on the ground. It was a higher voice, but sounded more feminine than Teach and his follower. He could hear people talking about prices of ships.

Looked like Teach was getting a ship. Different than the one he'd been on for the past few weeks. Luffy sighed sadly. Now it would be harder for Ace to find him since Luffy had no idea what a new ship would look like. If Ace even ever caught up with him. There were tons of islands the Whitebeards could accidentally go to, while Luffy and Teach got further and further away.

Light flooded in when Teach entered the darkness. There wasn't enough time to reach out to Ace. Luffy glowered at Teach, not even putting on the act right then. He just wanted to sleep and be left alone. Wanted to dream of him and Ace and Sabo all free. Not one dead and the other held prisoner for however long he would still be trapped.

But, Teach was carrying something that would clank every now and again. Luffy eyed him suspiciously as he dragged thick chains and shackles. Luffy had to give him credit; how he found such huge shackles that would even fit Luffy's thick legs. Did this mean Luffy was leaving the darkness?

It was now or never. One chance.

"You're going to behave, or I will stab one of your eyes out," Teach said cruely. Luffy wasn't worried. The ice would protect him, like it had when Burgess was poking him. Teach might assume he could break the ice with something sharp. That wasn't the case. "Now hold still, dragon," he commanded and locked the shackles around all of Luffy's wrists and ankles. They were all connected by a chain, and a muzzle was put on him, which was just a strap to keep his snout and mouth shut. Luffy cooperated, but acted like he didn't want to leave, by not wanting to leave the dark.

He groaned unhappily as he let himself be dragged from the darkness. He was pushed out onto the deck of the ship, with Burgess and someone else with them. He wore lipstick, hoop earrings and a hat. Luffy looked around to see a relatively large ship. Still nowhere near the size of the Moby Dick though. Luffy looked around with big eyes.

_Ace! They got a new ship! I'm out and gonna try to escape. If I die or something, I love you and will tell Sabo you miss him, _Luffy said to Ace, hoping he could hear him.

Teach strapped the harness on Luffy, who struggled against it. Luffy slowly began to chill the shackles. The cracking noise couldn't be heard over the sounds of the ocean. "Now, cooperate," Teach growled as he got ready to sit on Luffy. Luffy would rather die than have someone like this ride him like he was a horse.

Luffy shocked them all by jumping over the side of the ship, the shackles cracking completely as he dived deeper and deeper from the ship. Once he was far enough away for comfort, Luffy threw spears at the bottom of the ship, destroying the hull and letting it flood. He then froze the surface of the water so no one could follow him.

He turned to the side and swam as fast as he could from the sinking ship. He could hear the shouting of swear words as the ship was destroyed. Luffy melted the ice around the ship, making the pirates stumble and fall into the water. The dragon created spikes that pearced all three of his captors, quickly bleeding out.

He was up and away by the time Teach had succumbed to his devil fruit weakness. He looked behind him briefly to see Burgess and the other guy trying their best to stay afloat as they bled, though Luffy saw as three sea kings swam excitedly towards the noisy and bloody prey in the water. Luffy grinned as he flew far, far away. He had no idea how to get back to Ace, but at least he wasn't in the dark.

It didn't take long for his hunger and thirst to catch up with him after the month in the place where time stood still. He flew straight in one direction, hoping he could come across an island or at least a ship he could get food on. He dove into the sea once, but saw many sea monsters, and didn't want to fight when so weak, so he flew on.

_Luffy?! Are you okay? _Ace questioned, finally responding.

_Yeah. I got out. They all drowned and got eaten by sea kings. I don't know where I'm flying to. I can't smell you or the ship. I'm so hungry and thirsty, Ace. It hurts. I'm just looking for some place to rest, _Luffy explained, tears down his face in relief. He was free, but wouldn't be happy again without Ace.

_I'm so glad! We'll try our best to find you. Just search for an island, and get the name, _Ace replied.

_How am I supposed to ask? _Luffy questioned irritably, though not at Ace. it was just so inconvenient.

_Eavesdrop? _Ace offered. Luffy huffed, and screeched when a sea king leapt out of the water, causing Luffy to fly much, much higher. It made him shaky and terrified of being close to the water, which meant he couldn't grab any unlucky, rare fish. He was not strong enough at the moment to battle a sea king.

-x-

Ace was in the library again, where he spent most of his time now. He was uncomfortable being around the commanders and captain after the meeting a couple days ago. They were too nice, and he wasn't used to other humans being caring like that. Not when he and Luffy had only been exposed to assholes or violent humans.

The pirates had been nice to them before, but not like this. Not taking into consideration so much for Luffy. Not including Ace in things he shouldn't be. And, it was getting harder to keep thinking about leaving for good. He still wanted to be a pirate, but now he had something more to think about. Luffy was cramped on this ship. This big, big ship. How would he feel about a much smaller pirate ship of their own. Plus, Luffy may not want to be a pirate anymore after knowing what it was like to live on a ship. And, Ace wouldn't leave Luffy even if he really wanted to be free and stay on a large island like their home one.

He dropped the book when _Ace! They got a new ship! I'm out and gonna try to escape. If I die or something, I love you and will tell Sabo you miss him, _exploded in his head. Ace ran out of the room and to Marco, the closest important person he saw out on deck. When he was next to Marco, he asked, _Luffy?! Are you okay?_

He was scared Luffy wouldn't reply. He couldn't die from someone like Teach. He had been sure of that, but now he was worried about the wording of Luffy's alert.

_Yeah. I got out. They all drowned and got eaten by sea kings. I don't know where I'm flying to. I can't smell you or the ship. I'm so hungry and thirsty, Ace. It hurts. I'm just looking for some place to rest, _Luffy replied. Ace didn't hide the tears in his eyes. To others, it looked like he was just standing there, crying.

Marco grew concerned, and put his hand on Ace's shoulder. He had just gone running up to Marco, said nothing and then started crying. _I'm so glad! We'll try our best to find you. Just search for an island, and get the name, _Ace said, wiping his tears. There was a short delay before Luffy replied.

_How am I supposed to ask? _Luffy asked. Ace did know this was a problem. Luffy couldn't speak, so how would he find out what the name of the island he was on was? Plus, he couldn't read. Sabo and Ace had tried teaching him, but it just never stuck with the dragon.

_Eavesdrop? _Ace suggested lamely. Luffy didn't reply for awhile. _Luffy?_

_I'm concentrating flying. I'll talk to you when I'm somewhere safe. Sea kings are attacking, _Luffy replied, and then was quiet.

"Ace, what's wrong? Did Luffy contact?" Marco asked quickly. Ace still had tears down his eyes. He evaporated them off by raising his temperature briefly. He nodded his head and then gave a watery smile.

"He got away, and Teach and his friends got eaten by sea kings. Drowned and then got eaten. He has no idea where he is and is just trying to find an island to rest on. He's thirsty and starving," Ace said through his tears. Marco grinned, a first sight to Ace, and hugged him.

"C'mon, let's go tell pops," Marco said, his arm around Ace's should because he was sure the teen would faint soon enough from the utter relief and release of some of the crushing stress and fear. Luffy was still missing, but was now free from Teach.

They walked to Whitebeard, the traces of Ace's tears gone, and now only wearing a smile. "What's wrong, sons?" he asked automatically, making Ace clench his teeth. "Sorry, Ace. Force of habit to call those on the ship sons. Has Luffy made any contact?"

"Yeah. He has. We need to hold a meeting," Marco said.

Everyone waited silently for Ace to talk while they sat at the table. "Luffy freed himself. Teach and the others drowned and were eaten by sea kings," Ace said simply. It took a minute before the commanders burst into cheers. Whitebeard grinned at how happy they all were, and that Luffy had avenged himself and Thatch. Speaking of Thatch…

"Sons and Ace, not long before Ace and Marco approached me did Whiskey come to visit me. Thatch was just taken off of life support. He should be mostly fine. His back will still have a big scar, which is regrettable, but he will be fine. They don't know when he will wake up, but his life is no longer in danger." More cheers.

"Well, now all we need is to find Luffy. Teach is dealt with, now we just need Ace's little brother back. Then things will be better, and back to normal when Thatch wakes up. Ace, will you tell Luffy we're very happy he's okay?"

Ace nodded. _Luffy? _There was a minute of silence, before a sad sounding voice answered, _Yeah?_

_Everyone is very glad you're okay. And, I have to come clean about Thatch. He's not dead, and is getting better. We were both drugged by Teach, and I was attempted to be framed, but it didn't work. The drugs worked on me. It's scary. Did you feel the drugs? _Ace asked.

_No, but I wish you had told me sooner, but at least that wasn't added stress, _Luffy said.

_Yeah. Everything will be okay. When you find us or we find you, well, I need us to make a decision. But let's not think about that yet. _Luffy didn't question it, most likely really not wanting to have to think about any big decisions while he was looking for some place to rest and eat at.

_Make sure to tell me if you see any sort of landmark, _Ace said finally.

_Okay._

"He's still flying to try and find somewhere to land," Ace told the rest. A few frowned. Islands in the New World were few and usually far apart. Especially when not following a log pose, you could probably travel the whole sea without reaching any. A log pose was an absolute must to traveling in the Grand Line. And Luffy clearly didn't have one.

"Don't worry, Luffy's strong," Ace said, picking up on the frowns. No one countered him. There was no need to ruin Ace's good mood when they could do nothing to change it.

* * *

**Luffy is free! And Teach is dead! Eaten by a sea king after drowning is embarrassing and I hope he is killed off in an embarrassing way. And guess what?! I reached 1 million words in all my posted stories combined!**


	17. False Sense of Safety

**Samster7241: I enjoy killing off Teach in various ways, lol. **

**MrBizman: Thank you!**

**chickie434: It's satisfying to see the most detestable character in the show/manga (in my opinion) die, and even more fun to write it yourself!**

* * *

**Just finished and halfway done editing a new story, suuuuper long! So close to 150,000 words. It's a different tone than my other ASL Whitebeards stories, but I hope some enjoy it. Anyways, new enemy in this chapter. Hope the ending makes people happy. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy's eyes drooped as he flew. He was exhausted, and his stomach continued to rumble loudly, almost angrily. He flew for hours and hours in one direction, trying to at least pick up a scent. Something, _anything. _He was thirsty now, too. He couldn't drink the sea water, he knew that, but it didn't look like it was going to rain. He flew lower and lower, tiring rapidly.

Finally, he gave in and knew he needed sleep. Food could wait, water could wait. He can't do anything being too exhausted, so he formed a thick ball of ice around him, with a little hole in the top for air. Luffy fell asleep in the dark ball, sleeping during the day. He would have a sleep schedule that was very off track. But, he couldn't wait for it to get dark. He needed the sleep then and there. Trusting his ice not to break, no matter what came after it, he slept peacefully, and only woke up when he was ready to.

He shooed away all of the sea kings looking at the dissolving ball and flew off into the night, at least knowing which direction he came from. He didn't reach out for Ace, thinking he could still be asleep. Did Ace try and contact him while he was asleep? Luffy hoped not, but he felt he would have woken up if Ace had.

He flew all night, and away from the rising sun. Nothing. It was just a desert of the sea, stretching across endlessly in every direction.

Once the sun had risen a bit, the sky still pink, he finally caught the scent of something sweet, but not the smell of candy. More like flowers and plants. The meant land. An island. He flew faster, pushing his wings to the max, and finally an island appeared. He landed on a forested part of what looked like two islands that were connected by a bridge, which was in very bad shape.

Luffy crashed onto the sand, but didn't sleep. He got up and wobbled over to the giant flowers. All of the plants were huge, including mushrooms. He focused on the big rose and blossoms, and ate them hungrily. He scarfed down the massive rose, and multiple bell like blooms. He heard noises around him, but paid no attention as he scarfed down all of the food he could.

Sighing, Luffy walked to the nearest giant stalk and bit into it, sucking the liquid out of the stem as best as he could, since he wasn't near any fresh water. He looked down and to the side to see tiny people. The were the size of one of Luffy's palms. They had pointy noses, and looked at Luffy in shock. He and the tiny people stared at each other before Luffy got up and ran off down the coast and away from the little people.

He wasn't scared of them, but he didn't want to get into a confrontation. He just wanted to relax on solid ground, belly filled and feeling better than he had in a month. Luffy didn't get too far before one of the little people was in front of him. He skidden in the sand to a stop.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," the little person said. Luffy eyed his needle, but the person put it down to his side and raised his hands. "Promise." Luffy looked at him before nodding his head, instinct telling him that this little person wouldn't try to hurt or antagonize him.

"My name is Leo, a member of the Tontatta tribe," Leo introduced. Luffy couldn't tell his name back, so he just nodded. "Do you have a name?" Luffy nodded again.

"_Lll-vy,_" Luffy attempted to say.

Leo guessed, "Ulvy?" Luffy shook his head, frustrated, again, that he couldn't even say his own name. "Ulffy?" Luffy just nodded his head. Good enough. His stomach rumbled again. He really had gone a long time without food. "Are you still hungry? Here, we have some fruits and vegetables you can eat."

For the first time in awhile, Luffy gave a real smile. He bowed his head in thanks and followed Leo, ignoring the other Totatta's staring at him in shock and wariness. Luffy wasn't going to hurt any of them, so they had no need to be worried. He kept his mouth closed to not show his sharp teeth.

He couldn't help but grin when he saw the massive field of watermelon and orchards of fruits. He hurried over and leaned down to dig in, before he realized that would be rude and turned to Leo, who nodded and told him he could eat as much as he wanted. Luffy didn't hesitate to do just that.

_Ace, I found an island!_

The older brother responded immediately. _What island? Is it safe? Are you okay?_

_I don't know what island, but it's a small forested one off of a bigger one. There are little people here. The size of my hands and they are giving me food, _Luffy explained as he chomped on juicy watermelons. He could hear the Tontattas talking amongst themselves. Probably not happy about a big scary beast eating all of their food, even if one of their own thought it was okay.

_Can you find out the name?_

_I'll try. I was so hungry I thought I was gonna die! And I slept in an ice ball floating in the ocean, _Luffy explained as he licked his lips and the juice off of his hands. He then turned to the little people. He patted his hand on the ground and cocked his head. It seemed to do the trick, which he was proud of.

"You're on Green bit. The island over there is called Dressrosa. You don't want to go over there," Leo answered. Luffy relayed this information to Ace. He didn't respond for a few minutes, before he came with a warning.

_Whitebeard said that island is dangerous by who governs it. Be careful and don't go to see any humans. The one you should be most careful of has a pink feathered jacket, or robe. He has sunglasses. Doflamingo, a warlord. _Luffy grew nervous, if he was being warned by someone as strong as Whitebeard.

"You should make sure not to go to the main island, Ulffy," a female Tontatta warned. "There are dangerous people there. You don't want to be seen from them. You're a dragon, aren't you?" she asked, getting a nod from Luffy.

"Definitely don't go to Dressrosa!" another Tontatta exclaimed. It was starting to worry Luffy, all of the warnings. He nodded again, the only thing he could do that would communicate anything to them.

"You can stay here as long as you want to get better so you can leave before something bad happens," Leo said. Luffy was touched by their kindness. He bowed his head in thanks. "We have a sheltered place you can sleep at, and some water." Luffy followed him as he was lead through the dense, large foliage.

They came across a little meadow in the shade, with a stream nearby. Luffy laid down on the soft grass and moss, the most comfortable place he'd been in the last month. He was right next to the stream, so was able to drink while still lying down. He was comfortable, but not enough to show his stomach, even if the Tontatta's had left him so he could rest and relax after flying nonstop for over a day. In hindsight, that really wasn't much. Well, he was going fast. If he was on a ship, it would have taken much, much longer to get from Teach's ship to this island.

It looked like Luffy wouldn't be reuniting with Ace on this island. His head hung and laid it down on the cool grass. He drifted off to sleep easily, the sounds around him making him happy. He never wanted to be in such silence ever again.

-x-

Ace paced back and forth in his and Luffy's room. He was worried about the island Luffy had landed on. Whitebeard and the commanders had looked very serious about it, though not as bad as it would be with Big Mom's territory. Who was this _Donquixote Doflamingo_? What kind of guy was he to make Whitebeard worried about Luffy being on his island?

He had asked, but the only thing that seemed to be worrisome is the fact the man was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. the brother's hadn't come across one of them, though they had done a spectacular job of staying out of the Marine's or powerful pirate's eyes on their journey, so why would they meet one?

Then, Ace was told all about the warlords. This guy governed a kingdom, that seemed to be peaceful, but Marco had been there once, and it wasn't as peaceful as everyone thought. He could just feel the misery that had been around him. And there was something up with all of the toys. Living toys. But, he'd gotten no definitive proof that Doflamingo abused the human citizens.

It was a mystery, really. But, Marco said that Luffy could stay hidden at the smaller island for a little bit while being safe.

Ace assumed Luffy had gone to sleep. Whenever he stopped responding, Ace had to assume he was sleeping for the sake of his sanity. Luffy would be fine. He was free now, and if there was a problem, Luffy could escape. Ace had no doubt of that… so why was he still freaking out so much about it?

Well, when Luffy was trapped with Teach, he was safe in the darkness. At least temporarily. No monsters would eat him. He wouldn't fall into the ocean from exhaustion and drown or be attacked by a sea king. But now, he was out and in so much more danger. Though he was free now, didn't mean he was safe. Those were two completely different things.

Ace walked into the galley, ready to eat, when he noticed none of the commanders were there. He had no new news to tell them about Luffy, as he had gone to sleep. So, he sat alone at the commanders' table and ate his food. It was weird eating alone. At least when the other commanders were there, he wasn't completely alone, and knowing that made him less lonely and upset about Luffy not eating there next to him.

The others on the crew were also wondering why the commanders were absent. Someone walked up to him, surprising him as most of the crew doesn't talk to him personally, and asked _Ace _if he knew where the commanders were.

"How am I supposed to know?" Ace asked after swallowing a chunk of sausage whole.

"Well, you hang out with them most. But never mind, I guess," the guy said, though not in an angry voice. Ace had never really thought about it being weird that he hung out and sat with the commanders. They were just people, too, right? Then he started to realize just how often he hung out with them, and the captain.

Was it only because he was different than the other humans? Well, they didn't know that he wasn't human, but he was definitely different. There was also the factor of having Luffy as a brother. It made him frown, but he finished his meal and brought the dinnerware to the counter in the kitchen that dirty dishes ended up.

Ace left the room, heading out on deck, seeing Whitebeard wasn't at his chair either, which was strange. Curiosity got the better of him, and he began to walk around, wondering where they all were. It was a couple hours after Marco's warning that Ace had gone into his and Luffy's room.

He walked around the ship, not being nosey and looking into rooms, but he heard multiple voices coming from the infirmary, which had the door open. He peeked inside to see Thatch was awake! He looked very confused and still sickly, but he had finally woken up! He looked to behind everyone and saw Ace in the doorway.

"Ace!" he shouted. "Where's Luffy? Bet he missed my cooking, huh?" Thatch asked jovially. Ace shared a look with the commanders. They clearly hadn't told him yet.

"Yeah, I'm sure he has missed your food," Ace said truthfully, but also sounding awkward. "Everyone is wondering where you guys are."

"We'll come out and tell everyone in a little while. Thatch, we have some serious stuff we need to talk to you about," Marco said. "Come in, Ace. This involves you, too." Ace hesitated to walk in.

"Am I allowed in? Is Tami still pissed at me?" Ace asked. Said nurse entered the room, hearing her name.

"Yes, you're allowed in. I'm not angry at you anymore, since you actually were fine," she said, and then went back to the offices. Ace nodded and walked in, up to the bed. Thatch looked worried, and confused.

"What happened?" he asked slowly. Something bad obviously.

"You remember who stabbed you, right?" Jozu questioned. Thatch nodded and scowled. "Well, Teach attempted to frame Ace. He drugged both Ace and Luffy, and put the murder weapon on Ace. And he took Luffy, who has been a prisoner for the past month. _But, _Luffy is freed and killed Teach and his 'friends'. Now, Luffy is trying to get back to us. Ace can talk with him even from a long distance," Jozu explained.

Thatch's face went pale. "No one believed that Ace killed me, right?" he asked seriously. They shook their heads. "He killed me for the fruit, right? Does that have something to do with how Luffy was kidnapped?"

"Yeah. Luffy got trapped in what could be considered as another dimension. It was a very powerful devil fruit, but like all devil fruits, it couldn't fight against the sea. Luffy is at Dressrosa right now," Izo said. Thatch looked down guiltily.

"If I hadn't brought back that fruit-" he started.

"_No, _son, this is not your fault. You're not dead, and Teach is gone. Getting that fruit just exposed who he really was. It's unfortunate that Luffy was taken, but we'll get him back," Whitebeard said strongly. Ace looked at the ground sadly, not wanting to think about it anymore. But, now he could tell Luffy, which would be good for him.

Thatch sighed. "Man, Teach made us all look bad. Ace, we wouldn't ever want to hurt you or Luffy, prom-"

"I know. Everyone else made it clear," Ace said before Thatch could continue defending what was in the past. "Luffy is going to be very happy that you're awake. When he gets back, you gotta make him all of his favorites. He's starving. And, in the New World, it's much more difficult to catch fish by going underwater." The others nodded.

"The New World is indeed harsh," Whitebeard replied sagely.

-x-

"Ulffy!" a Tontatta woke him up with a start. Luffy got to his feet and looked around in panic. "You have to get away! Doflamingo saw you come. Fly away!" she warned. Luffy immediately ran through the thick foliage and to the open area, planning on flying away as fast as possible. But then, he saw something was wrong with the air. Shiny strings, or lines, reflected light. It was surrounding the island.

He smelled a strong scent of some sort of perfume, and looked to the side to see the pink-feathered, jacket wearing man with sunglasses. He was very tall, but nowhere near as tall as Whitebeard. He had a sick grin on.

"Well, this is a surprise," Doflamingo said. Luffy backed away and then sprinted at the strings, which he could see had formed a cage around the small island. Luffy gnawed at them with his teeth, not wanting to show his powers to a bad guy. But, his teeth didn't do anything. So, he froze the strings and shattered them, making it out of the cage, but he then was frozen. Not by ice, but he couldn't move.

Then, he felt and saw the strings were wrapped around him. His wings were flattened on him, so he couldn't get up and fly away. He covered himself in ice, freezing the strings and shattering them, but more then wrapped around him. He roared, and dragged himself along the ground to get out of the cage.

He turned onto his back and froze the legs of the man to the ground. He couldn't walk anywhere. And this made him angry. He was physically stronger than Teach had been, and was able to drag Luffy across the ground a little before he stabbed ice into the dirt and latched onto it with his hands, not being dragged anymore.

He whipped his tail around, trying to loosen the strings. But it didn't work, and he got no further. He snarled, but let himself be dragged back. When he was right in front of Doflamingo, who was glaring at him, he covered himself in the armor-ice, and roared at Doflamingo in a loud, furious, and threatening way.

He flipped onto his back and slapped his tail against the man, slamming into his gut and making him grunt a little, but of course stay in the same place, as the ice wouldn't break no matter how hard he tried, or if he was dragged away.

Luffy coated Doflamingo's arms with thick ice. Then, Luffy was rendered unconscious when a burst of strong haki rushed away from his captor. Though, now the man had no way out of the ice. All he had now was an unconscious dragon who couldn't do anything to help him out of the ice.

But, it didn't take long for Luffy to wake up, opening his eyes to see that he was covered in some sort of slimy gel, and unable to move. He saw multiple people trying to get Doflamingo out of the ice. They were having no luck. Luffy closed his eyes, making it seem he was still unconscious. When he heard the warlord curse, furious with being rendered practically powerless while trapped to the ground and with his arms shackled together, Luffy froze the goo around him, turning it into ice and shattering it. The strings weren't connected to Doflamingo's fingers anymore, as he was busy trying to get free.

Luffy shattered the strings as well and destroyed a wall of the cage and flew out and away. But, it seemed like they all knew something like that would happen as there was a woman on top of a… flying human? With big teeth and a mark on them? Tattooed teeth? The young woman shot a cannon at him, but he easily evaded it.

He flew right at them and grabbed the flying man's arm and spun him around rapidly, releasing him so he slammed right into the outside of the cage and fell into the water. Luffy froze the surface of the water so the man who could be problematic so he couldn't come back up.

He wasn't going easy on these humans. He would _not _be caught and trapped again. Never again. Luffy flew high enough that he was out of range of anyone, and flew around the cage, freezing the strings with the unbreakable ice instead of regular ice. He created a real cage. They wouldn't be getting out anytime soon.

He made sure to leave a tiny hole at the bottom open so the Tontatta's could escape if necessary. He roared one more time at the forever-trapped man and flew off at light speed, hearing enraged shouts from below and behind.

Tears were in Luffy's eyes as he fled the islands, flying off in a random direction. Were all humans like this? Well, not all, but were so many humans just rotten people? Had he only been lucky in meeting good ones so far? He didn't even know this man and his friends, or whoever those trying to get him out of the ice and keep Luffy around. Sure, Teach had not known him well, but had been acquainted with him in some way.

Now, he really wished he was a human, or at least resembled one like Ace did. Luffy flew away from the island as fast as he could, it soon being a speck on the horizon. Luffy cried uncontrollably as he flew. He wanted to go home. He missed his home island. Where no one bothered them after Sabo's death.

Now, he was scared to see any other humans. Would they be greedy and try to take Luffy for themselves? _Ace?_

Luffy waited for a response, and sighed out when Ace replied, _Hey, Luffy. How are you?_

_Bad guys trapped me! I was stuck, but I froze him together and made a cage so they can't get out, _he cried.

_What? What happened? _Ace asked in a hurry.

_The little people helped me, and then I woke up and doflamingo knew I was there. He tried trapping me in a really big cage. Then, he did something that made me fall asleep. I was so helpless and trapped, but I got away. He's gonna be stuck in that ice for a long time. Maybe forever, _Luffy explained. _It was really scary! Are all humans like this? I didn't even know them!_

_Not all humans are like that. Think of Shanks, and the Whitebeards. And Sabo. Never forget Sabo was the first human you knew, and he was a good guy. Some humans are bad, and some are good, _Ace said gently. _And a really good human just woke up. Thatch is awake and moving around. When you get home, he promises he'll make you the feast of a king._

Luffy smiled. At least something was good. _That's great! Tell him that I miss his cooking._

_Will do. Do you have any idea which direction you're flying in? _Ace asked. Of course, Luffy's answer was no. He had no idea. _Where is the position of the sun?_

_Behind me._

_Marco told me you can tell directions from the placing of the sun, once it sets or rises, _Ace replied. The sun was setting very low now. It was crazy that he'd only been on that island a couple hours before he immediately had to leave. He just wanted to stay someplace comfortable. He would have to sleep in the ice ball again. He drifted off a lot last night most likely.

Ace came back when Luffy was forming a ball of the thick ice. He landed on the top of it, took one more look around at the empty horizons, and crawled inside, sealing the top except for a tiny hole.

_Luffy, Whitebeard said you need to be even more careful. Doflamingo is a powerful person. He had pull with the higher government, but now that they are gone, the Marines might not be after you. But, he has allies, and is allied with another emperor. You have to be very careful and mindful of who is around you, now._

_There was nothing else I could do! _Luffy shouted. It was sounding like he did something _wrong. _He saved his own life and freedom, he did nothing wrong! He didn't kill Doflamingo, and they could easily get that weird flying guy out of the water from the other side of the ice.

_No one is saying you should have done otherwise. Just a warning, _Ace said in an even, calming voice.

_I'm going to sleep, _Luffy replied sharply. _I'm in an ice ball, don't worry._

_O-Okay. Tell me when you wake up, please, _Ace said, sounding a bit sad.


	18. Good and Bad Developments

**chickie434: I put him through so much pain. **

* * *

**I just posted a new story (surprise, surprise! Posting 6 now) so check it out if you want! It'a a lot different from my other ASL Whitebeard stories but I think it's good. I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, I don't know how I let that slip through! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace looked horrified when he was told who might be after Luffy now. Doflamingo was no doubt furious that he couldn't free himself from the ice. Surely, he must realize the one who did it was the only one who could undo it.

With the world government still trying to pick their pieces back up, the warlords probably were low on the list for the marines to pay attention to, but that didn't mean that Doflamingo's other allies weren't up for hunting down Luffy. Not only an emperor's crew, but allied crews as well. Luffy was probably now marked to capture by anyone Doflamingo was affiliated with.

But, Luffy could do nothing to take back what he'd done. There was no flying back and undoing the ice. Luffy had to keep moving. And he was angry with Ace. He really hadn't meant to make him feel bad, but Luffy was probably under a very unhealthy amount of stress. He was lost, alone, and scared. Not to mention, now he had to be even more careful. Ace felt hurt when Luffy snapped at him, but he didn't take it personally. He was told that protecting himself just made it worse.

Ace wanted him back already. He wanted Luffy to have his own map and log pose so they could reunite somewhere. Luffy was just wandering… which was pretty much what the Whitebeard's were doing as well. They had no set destination, nothing other than trying to get lucky and cross paths with Luffy.

It was the next day when the most recent wanted poster came.

-x-

Marco picked up the newspaper from the News Coo and payed for it, before opening it on deck as he headed towards pop's chair. The captain was being checked on by the nurses. Ace was still asleep and many of the commanders were in the kitchen, helping Thatch cook breakfast. He was being monitored by Izo, who would tell Thatch if he needed to stop, as he had been bedridden for awhile and was still weak in his legs.

The poor chef was humiliated, but he needed to make food. Sure, the others could, but Thatch needed this. It was the only way he could really get stress out. And having been almost murdered and having someone he cared a lot about kidnapped was building up. Which was bad.

When the most recent wanted posters fell out, Marco went pale and shouted, "_FUCK!"_

Whitebeard looked up sharply, and shooed the nurses away as he called, "Marco, what's wrong?" Marco was fuming and scrunched the wanted poster up in his hand in fury. He caught on fire, he was so angry. "Son?" the man asked, going to stand up and walk over, but Marco stopped him and walked to the chair himself.

Marco held the poster up in front of the captain. "We need to find Luffy _soon."_

The photo had no name, but the bounty was 100,000,000 berris. The photo was of a sleeping Luffy. Instead of "dead or alive", it said "only alive". Whitebeard cursed. The photo was hard to look at. It was Luffy, unconscious and tied tightly together. It was a miracle he escaped that.

They both knew why it was "only alive". It was for Doflamingo to get him back and reverse the damage he'd done with his unbreakable and unmeltable ice. Luffy wasn't just some human who could put on a disguise. He was a dragon, big, and extremely noticeable and recognizable. Now, no place was safe for him but on this ship, with the protection of the crew and his brother.

God, how would Ace react to this?

-x-

Luffy melted the ball when he woke up and stretched, before yawning and taking flight again, searching the water for any islands. He was hungry again, and watched the water for any food that could come. He also made sure to pay attention if there were any sudden sea kings.

Seeing birds, he flew up to meet them and chased them around a bit, though not eating them. He just wanted to pretend, just for a minute, that he was a kid again. That he wasn't lost, running from pursuers, and was about to find Ace and go home. The place he desperately wanted to be.

_Ace? I'm awake,_ Luffy called. Ace responded immediately, asking how he was, though there was a nervous undertone to his voice. _I'm okay. I'm sorry I snapped last night, _the dragon apologized.

_I'm glad you're okay. It's fine, I didn't take it personally. You've been through some pretty traumatizing events in quick succession, I know you're stressed, and scared, _Ace said, though he was the one who really sounded scared. Luffy wondered if something else had happened. He asked.

_Doflamingo made a wanted poster for you, _Ace replied quietly. Like he didn't want Luffy to know. But, thankfully, Luffy continued to glide, though he was freaking out internally. What could make this worse? Well, he shouldn't have thought that. He might have jinxed himself. The birds had long since flown away, and Luffy was all alone about the vast sea, the only other presence being a voice in his head.

_You're gonna have to be very careful choosing places to land on an island, _Ace said calmly. _And try and stay far away from pirate ships. At least big ones. Shanks and his crew is looking out for you also, so if you see his ship, go there immediately._

Luffy nodded, but then remembered Ace couldn't see that, and said _Okay, I will._

_...Luffy, have you been having strange dreams? _Ace asked, making Luffy curious, as he hadn't been having any strange dreams. Mostly good memories, or dreams of being reunited with Ace and Sabo at the same time.

_No, why? _It was quiet for a moment. _Ace?_

_I think I'm dreaming your memories, _Ace said slowly. Like he thought Luffy would think he was crazy. Luffy asked for some examples. _Last night, I dreamt that you were in a giant bird cage, covered in goo. Then I woke up. Did that actually happen?_

_Yeah. Doflamingo made the bird cage before I bound his arms. And a bigger human could make slime or something out of his body, and thought I would be trapped in it, _Luffy explained. He was quite glad he didn't spend much time with those people, and had fled instead of fought. Yes, Luffy was very strong, but he didn't know if any of those people had devil fruits, except for the flying man and the woman who turned into weapons.

Thankfully, those had done nothing, and his ice powers protected him well. He was sure he wouldn't have gotten out of that if he had Ace's fire powers. That probably would have just burned them or set the island aflame, which would be bad for the little people who helped him. Tried to warn him. Luffy hoped they were safe, and was sad he never got to thank any of them. He would have been a sitting duck if they had found him while still asleep.

_I'm glad I'm not crazy, _Ace said, bringing Luffy's attention back to the present. _Once we get you back, no one will ever hurt you again, _the older brother vowed. Luffy smiled, and thanked him. To keep Luffy's mind off of the situation, Ace decided to tell Luffy some stories about what he and Sabo had done together as children. He was surprised he could even remember most of those memories. Many, he'd told already, but he remembered some more just at the right time.

Luffy continued to fly straight into the horizon. The sun rose and set over him as he flew. The talking made up for the fact that he hadn't found any food, and that the sky was darkening around him. He did his best to fly around the storm, but it was rapidly growing and he couldn't out run it, and he refused to fly back the way he came.

If he could fly into a tsunami and not die, a storm should not hurt him. He was actually lucky he hadn't run into any, though he might not have known while he was trapped in Teach's darkness. He flew up above the clouds, trying to get above the storm. He felt the electricity buzz against his skin, but the clouds reached up higher than he could fly without getting dizzy and light headed from being up too high. So, he'd just fly in the clouds and hope for the best.

He coated himself in ice, not knowing if his skin would protect against lightning.

The wind was horrible, and hurt his wings. He didn't want to fly through it anymore, but it would also be dangerous to make a raft and try to stay on it. So, he did the only thing he could think of that would keep him safe from the weather and waves. It would confuse his sense of direction, as there was no landmark to tell which way he had been heading. He formed an ice ball and shut himself inside, being churned over and over, making him horribly nauseous, but he couldn't afford to throw up the little food he had in his stomach.

The storm didn't last too long, but by the end, he felt horrible, and wasn't responding to Ace anymore, trying to keep himself from throwing up. He melted the top of the ball so he was out in the open air, the waves calm. But Luffy couldn't bring himself to stand, let alone fly.

He panted as he tried to stable himself. The wind was still there, but it was more breezy now. Then, his head perked up and he smelled something other than the sea. He steadied himself and followed the scent, excited. It smelled like some sort of animal, but plants as well.

_Luffy?! Luffy, are you there?! _Ace called. Luffy was finally able to respond, and said, _Sorry, Ace. I flew into a storm and couldn't reply. I smell something, though! Something other than the sea._

_That's great! But, please, be careful, _Ace pleaded. Luffy reassured his brother that he would be cautious of wherever he'd end up. He flew quickly towards the source, and sooner than he could have hoped for, he saw what it was. Something big, sticking out of the water, slowly walking along through the waves.

An elephant?! He flew higher, up to the level of its body and landed on it's back. There was some sort of gate that opened to a forest and town. People lived on a giant elephant?! He could smell and hear people, though they smelled a bit different than other humans. He sensed animals, too. _Food._

Luffy quietly flew over the wall and landed in the foliage. He slunked through the forest, the sun setting, looking for some food, meat or otherwise. He made sure to stay deep in the forest, sniffing and listening for anything alive nearby. He found a pond, bringing back memories of his young childhood, as the water was full of crocodiles.

Luffy hid behind a rock in front of the pond, looking for the biggest crocodile. It was relatively close to the shore, and wasn't hard to pounce on it and kill it by snapping its neck with his powerful hands. He looked around, took the crocodile's neck into his jaws and dragged it away, deeper into the woods and closer to the wall.

Luffy hadn't eaten raw animals in a long time. It was messy. He had been eating raw fish, but only because he had no fire to cook it. But, thankfully, he didn't become sick from eating raw foods, like humans would.

He greedily scarfed it down to the bones, leaving the head, and then dragged it back to the pond, and fled the forest, going back to the back entrance and laying down, relaxing as he watched the sun set from so high up without flying.

_I landed on the island, _Luffy told Ace, planning on explaining that it wasn't an island in the morning. He fell asleep quickly, relaxed, not worried about the people on the island. He could easily escape, while they'd be trapped on the elephant.

-x-

Thatch had really gotten right back into the flow of being a chef. It'd only been a few days since he woke up and he was already acting like the nightmare hadn't happened. Everyone was ecstatic that he was awake and alive. A party was thrown in his honor, though some did not feel like celebrating. One in particular.

Ace sat against the railing, lost in his own thoughts. It was dark out now, and Luffy had stopped responding. He assumed he was asleep on the island he'd landed on. He hoped Luffy wouldn't be noticed. Especially now that he had a bounty, low for the New World according to Izo.

He wished Luffy was there to distract him from the boring party, filled with drunks and men passed out from being too intoxicated. Ace sighed, wanting to go to bed, but not be rude. Not be seen as if he wasn't happy Thatch was awake. He was very happy, but he also missed Luffy, and felt guilty that he was at a party while Luffy was wherever he was, alone.

Haruta approached him and handed him a mug. Ace could tell it was not booze, but lemonade. The commander sat down next to Ace, and again, he had to wonder why the commanders treated him differently than their subordinates. Maybe it was because Ace wasn't officially part of the crew.

"Hey, how you doing?" Haruta asked as he sat down next to the youngest on the ship. Ace shrugged and took a sip of the freshly squeezed lemonade. It was delicious.

"I miss Luffy. Nothing new," Ace responded sadly. "He found an island, had to fly through a storm."

Haruta took a swig of his rum, and said, "Luffy flew into a tsunami. A storm wouldn't hurt him." Ace nodded, already knowing this. "I'm sure Luffy would want you to enjoy yourself, just this once. Surely he doesn't want his brother unhealthily stressed."

"Nah, stress probably won't do anything to me," Ace replied vaguely. Haruta so wanted to ask what he meant, but he didn't. He wouldn't ever be nosy again. He still felt bad about eavesdropping on him so long ago.

"Regardless, you should loosen up, even if it's only for an hour. You don't have to drink, but we're starting a game of poker if you want to join," Haruta offered. Ace thought for a moment, before agreeing reluctantly and following the commander to the group of both fellow commanders and some of the regular crew.

Ace only had a good poker face because he was feeling empty inside. He wished Luffy would wake up and talk to him. Had he gotten any food? Was he safe? What island did he land on? Was it nearby?

Ace ended up losing spectacularly, but he hadn't bet anything, so lost nothing. He had only won the other times because he cheated with Luffy, who would pretend to be sleeping behind his opponents only to tell Ace their cards. Of course, Ace would never admit this, but it seemed Izo knew, as he commented on how this time, without Luffy, Ace was _unexpectedly _terrible at the game. Ace scowled, but didn't leave.

The others noticed Ace kept touching something in his pocket, and wondered what it was. Haruta asked. Ace hadn't even realized he'd been doing it. It was Luffy's new wanted poster. Ace had no other photos of his brother, which was regrettable, so the poster was all he had, though he wished it had been a happy photo, and not one of him passed out.

Ace pulled the folded poster out of his pocket and held it up to show them. Their faces saddened and Ace folded it backup and returned it to his pocket.

"We'll find him," Izo said comfortingly. Then his face turned determined, and he stood up and walked to Whitebeard's chair, eyes following him and wondering what he was going to say. Ace could hear him, and his eyes widened when Izo requested that they alert their allied crews, and to tell them if they spotted Luffy. And if he landed on their ships, to tell him they were allied with their crew.

And, to Ace's amazement, Whitebeard agreed. The heat suddenly spiked around Ace, and Haruta saw, just in time, a tear fizzle into steam on Ace's face. He didn't comment on it and the temperature soon dropped back to normal.

Now, they had a better chance of finding Luffy! A step closer. Luffy and Ace weren't even part of the crew, but Whitebeard was going to tell all of his allies? And Ace didn't let himself question whether these allies were trustworthy. But, they had to know that if they turned Luffy in, they'd face the wrath of Whitebeard and his family.

_One step closer, Luffy._


	19. Comfort Does Wonders

**chickie434: *_laughs wickedly* _Enjoy this one and the next.**

* * *

**Getting close to finished! I'm gonna be super sad. I've been posting this story since last August and it's now February. :( Anyways, don't hate me for this! Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy woke up from multiple scents and some speaking. His eyes shot open as he saw animal-people staring at him. A large crowd of them. Luffy had never seen people that looked like them.

Luffy jerked up and backed away. The woman in front of him put up her hands, with the rest of them following. "Don't worry, we mean you-teia no harm," she said in a kind voice. Luffy didn't sense any hostility by her or those around her. They all look wary or intrigued, but not hostile. Luffy didn't back away but he didnt advance either. "Are you-teia hungry?" she asked in her soft voice.

The sound of his stomach rumbling gave her all the answers she needed. She turned to the others and told them to bring food, a lot. Luffy slowly walked forwards to sniff the woman. He frowned and cocked his head slightly.

"In case you-teia are wondering, we are minks, not humans. It's going to rain soon, why don't you come in for some shelter?" When she saw the suspicion on Luffy's strangely expressive face, she said, "I assure you we won't hurt you. And you look malnourished," she added, seeing hoW skinny his torso was, just from not eating three times a day a couple days, since he hadn't changed in Teach's power's limbo.

Luffy definitely needed more food to fly faster and longer, so he trusted her kind expression, and followed her into the city, many meters behind her. The other minks dispersed when told to, though they watched Luffy in awe first.

This was a different feeling than those on the ship. It was more like how Shanks's reaction was. He followed the mink woman closer once he felt he was safe. He did see some warrior looking minks staring at him in suspicion, but Luffy could see why. He was much bigger than the minks. Most of them.

He was surprised he was led to a building that he could fit through the large arched doorway. He was lead in, and then to a covered outdoor area. He laid down on the soft moss, feeling safer than he had in a long time.

Cooked food and fresh produce were brought to him, and he scarfed it down, happy to have cooked meat again. Eating raw really was not preferred, as he didn't like the taste of the blood. When he had finished all of the food, pleasantly stuffed, a bunny mink snuck into the area. Luffy looked at her with a tired look. His body was exhausted.

"I'm Carrot. You're a dragon, right?" she asked excitedly. She looked like a middle teenager. How Ace looked when he was that age. Luffy nodded, and laid down onto his side. "Can you breathe fire and stuff?" Luffy shook his head. She looked disappointed.

Luffy decided to make them something in thanks for the hospitality they were showing. He created a large box out of his ice. Carrot "wow!"ed and ran over, making Luffy move away, not liking how fast she approached him. She stopped, noticing this.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you. Promise. We rarely have visitors, so this is exciting for a lot of us. Plus, we've never met a dragon before. Can you speak?" she asked as she slowly walked towards him. He shook his head sadly. "Oh. Well, at least you can understand us!" the bunny mink said cheerfully.

Luffy liked her.

She inspected the freezer that had an ice door that opened and closed, she said, "We can store food in here! Will it ever melt?" Luffy shook his head. "So cool!" not realizing what she was doing, she jumped on Luffy to hug him. He growled at her and stood up quickly hurrying to the far end of the shaded outdoor area.

"Oh, I'm sorry! We like to hug each other here. I'm sorry I scared you," Carrot said, looking genuinely regretful. But, Luffy was glad he didn't scare her with his warning growl. It hadn't been a complete snarl, as she hadn't tried to harm him. But, she didn't approach again, which both saddened but reassured Luffy.

He hadn't had positive physical attention in over a month. And even before that, Ace had limited it due to the others on the ship. Speaking of Ace…

_Ace? _Luffy asked.

_Hey, Luffy. Are you safe? Are you still on that island? _Ace questioned worriedly.

_Yeah. I met some nice people. They said that they are minks. It's not an island, it's a giant elephant. They're giving me food and a place to rest, _Luffy said, very grateful for the minks' kindness.

_Wait, what? You're just trusting strangers? And letting them feed you? _Ace asked in disbelief. Luffy could see where he was coming from, but like the little people, he felt that the minks were good. He couldn't explain it, he just knew.

_I know it sounds reckless. But, even if they do turn on me, I can get off the elephant and leave, they can't. It'll be easier than getting away from Doflamingo, _Luffy reasoned, trying to calm his brother's worries. Ace didn't reply for a minute.

_I asked Whitebeard. He said the minks are good people. Just, don't let your guard down, okay? And, the Whitebeard's allies are looking for you, too. Forty three subordinate crews, along with Shanks. If they see you, they'll hold up the Whitebeard jolly roger. Keep a look out for them, okay?_

Luffy smiled, _Okay. _Whitebeard was a good man. It was good that they were allies with him, and that he and the crew cared enough about Luffy and Ace to go through the trouble of asking allied captains to help get him back to Ace. Back to his home.

Luffy's attention turned to the original mink woman, who came in with a rolled up piece of paper. "Hello, again. My name is Wanda. I have a few questions. Don't be afraid," she said kindly as she sat in front of Luffy in a peaceful manner. Luffy's eyes widened when the piece of paper was unrolled; his wanted poster. He hadn't seen it yet. He was embarrassed with the photo, unconscious and covered in strings.

100,000,000 berris. Was that a lot? He didn't have much concept for money, as he'd never used it. Ace and Sabo had always done the shopping and Ace was the one to leave Luffy in hiding places to buy food on their journey to and along the Grand Line.

"This is you-teia, right?" she asked. Luffy nodded his head warily. "You look injured in this photo. Are you hurt anywhere? We have doctors that can help you if you are." Luffy blinked at her, surprised. He wasn't hurt anywhere. Only sore from flying and the storm that jerked him around so much. He shook his head.

Wanda gave a genuine smile. "That's great! You don't seem like a bad person," she said, and Luffy was touched that she considered him a person and not an animal. "I wonder why you have a wanted poster…?"

Luffy decided he'd show her. If he could. He stood up and backed away from her, and formed an ice sculpture of Doflamingo. It was alright for a first try. He then formed ice on his arms and feet, hoping Wanda would understand it.

"This person is after you, because of the ice?" she asked. Luffy was pleased that she understood. He nodded. "Why doesn't he just break it?" Luffy shook his head. "He can't? Not without you, and that's why you have a wanted poster?" The dragon nodded.

"Well, you're safe here for however long you need to stay," Wanda said. "Zunisha is always moving, and since she isn't an island, she's almost impossible to track." This made Luffy feel so much safer than he had just seconds ago. He nodded with a smile, and put his head down to rest, even if it wasn't sleeping.

He just wanted to relax on the soft moss while he could. Wanda promised him he'd be left alone. When she left, Luffy rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the moss, tears being soaked up in it. They were being so kind. He wanted to go home to Ace right now. He wanted to go back to the ship. He didn't want to fly anymore. He wanted to eat Thatch's food, be rubbed by Ace, spend time with the commanders and captain.

Was Ace lonely without him? He had the whole crew. He had friends. Luffy was all alone. He couldn't stay here long. He needed to get to Ace as soon as possible. But, just for now, he could close his eyes and pretend the moss was really his mattress, and Ace was sleeping in his bed not far from him. He imagined hearing Ace's soft snores.

He fell asleep quicker than he thought he would, and just let himself let go of all his stress. Just for a little bit.

The minks did leave him alone and in peace. None of them came to ogle at him, not that he'd know since he was asleep. It was peaceful, and he wasn't being thrown around in the waves like he had in the ice balls.

He only woke to the smell of meat and fruits. He yawned widely and blinked his eyes a few times before seeing Carrot grinning at him, a feast laid out in front of him. He started to drool, but didn't know if it was all for him or if she was going to eat some.

"It's all yours," Carrot said and sat down across from him, having her own plate of food. It was dark out now, probably past dinner time. He gratefully scarfed down all of the food, closing his eyes and pretending he was in the galley and eating next to the pirates and his brother.

"Are you trying to find someplace?" Carrot asked curiously. "Why are you here?" Luffy swallowed the last slab of meat, crocodile meat, which tasted so much better cooked. Luffy did what he'd done with Wanda, and used his ice powers to make a sculpture of the Moby Dick.

"You're trying to find your way back to this ship?" she asked, picking up the sculpture. It was very cool and well made, unlike the Doflamingo sculpture. Luffy had seen the Moby Dick multiple times, but the warlord only once.

Luffy formed on the moss the jolly roger of the ship he was trying to get to. "That's the Whitebeard symbol!" Carrot exclaimed, recognizing the infamous insignia. Luffy nodded. "You're trying to get to the Whitebeards? Why?"

There was no way for Luffy to write out the word "brother", so he just formed a sculpture of Ace and rubbed his head against it, showing that he cared for whoever this sculpture was of. "Friend? Family? Your family is a human?" she wondered. Luffy nodded. Ace was part-human, and there was no way he could explain he was part dragon, and that was Ace's business in the first place.

"How did you get separated?" Carrot asked as she finished the last of her food. Luffy growled and formed Teach out of his ice, then hitting it so hard is shattered into pieces. "Bad guy got you?" Luffy was impressed about how much she understood his new way of communicating. "But you got away, so that's good!" Luffy smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to sleep some more or come look around, since the rai stopped?" Carrot asked. Luffy stood up and stretched, nodding. He was taller than Carrot, but younger in age. She showed him around their little village, and into the forest. He met many minks on their way, and they were all nice. Carrot told them not to touch him, though, since they really did seem like they liked to be hugged.

If he didn't have Ace, Luffy wouldn't mind staying here. It was peaceful, safe but also big enough for Luffy to explore and not be confined. He vowed to someday visit this place with Ace, once they were back together.

"Hey, what's this?" Carrot asked as she walked further behind Luffy. He made a questioning noise and looked to where Carrot was pointing. It was a tiny piece of paper that was stuck to him by a piece of slime. From that guy! Carrot asked if she could pull it off, and Luffy nodded.

"Hey, it's moving," she commented as she held the piece of paper in her hand. "Do you know what it is?" Luffy shook his head. Was it bad? It must be if he'd gotten it from that slime man. It must have been the instant he fled that this was stuck on, since he'd frozen all of it and cracked it off right before fleeing.

_Ace, there's a moving paper that was stuck to my tail, from Doflamingo's guy, _Luffy said. _Do you know what it is?_

_No, I'll ask, _Ace said, and came back shortly after. _Luffy, leave that place now! Fly off and then dump the paper into the ocean far away! _Luffy was startled. Ace sounded freaked out.

_Wha- why? What's wrong? _he asked, not knowing why it was such a big deal.

_It's a vivre card. A way to track someone. They've been tracking you. You have to leave immediately or the elephant and minks will be in danger!_

Luffy snatched the paper up with his mouth, sticking it to his front took with saliva, and got up to fly away, not wanting to endanger these kind people. "Hey, where are you going?!" Carrot called in confusion as Luffy ran through the trees and took off the moment he was in a clearing. Luffy wanted to be able to thank her and her people for their help and kindness, but the only way to repay them would be to put them out of danger.

Well, at least he got some food and sleep. He'd made a friend, too. Too bad he had to leave so soon. He flew far from Zunisha, in the opposite direction and then, once the elephant was out of sight, Luffy took the piece of paper out of his mouth and froze it, dropping it into the sea to sink. He was fuming. That asshole gave him a wanted poster, so everyone knew he existed, and then he tracked him and endangered his new friends.

But, Luffy wouldn't go back to fight. Plus, it was most likely his subordinates who would come after the dragon, since Doflamingo would still be trapped in the ice, and in the cage. Then, Luffy suddenly had a terrible thought. That ice was unbreakable. The ice that had surrounded Mary Geious had been unbreakable as well. Could they put two and two together and realize that Luffy could have been one of the main players in the Mary Geious Massacre?

Would that seven billion bounty with no name or face have his now? He did his best not to think about it. And he wouldn't bring it up with Ace. He'd just have to wait and see if it was figured out and Luffy would be one of the two most wanted creatures on the planet. The revolutionary has to be one of them.

At least Ace would be safe.

_I dumped the paper. I'm gonna start flying again, _Luffy said sadly, flying far from where he dumped the piece of paper.

_I'm really sorry, Lu. You finally found some nice people and a place to stay, and now you have to leave again, _Ace said sadly. Luffy started crying.

_I- I wanna be with you already! _he cried. Even through his head, it was clear he was crying his eyes out. He could tell Ace was choked up too, when he responded.

_It's been harder being without you than it was when Sabo was killed. You're my baby, my baby brother, and now I can't do ANYTHING to help you! I'm useless! I can't find you by myself. I feel really alone, but I feel guilty about that. I have all of these wonderful people with me, and you're all alone. And even when you have found nice people, shit goes wrong and you have to flee! I shouldn't have been affected by those drugs. It's my fault you were taken! I didn't protect you, like I said I would. I promised you that I'd protect you with my life. And now, you're all alone, hunted and with a stupid wanted paper! And I CAN'T DO SHIT TO HELP YOU!_

Luffy was crying his eyes out, sniffling and sobbing deep, choked noises. It was hard to fly when so emotional, so he made an ice raft and landed on it to cry safer than crashing into the water.

_I don't blame you. The drugs got me, too, _Luffy replied, trying to be calm also for Ace, who was extremely emotional.

_When we reunite, you're never leaving me again. Ever. I don't care if we don't end up being pirates, as long as we're together then I'll have no regrets in life. In our long lives. Okay?_

_Mmhmm, _Luffy replied. Then, Ace began to hum to Luffy, a tune he had made up after Sabo died, when Luffy cried at night instead of sleeping. More tears came from Luffy's eyes, but they were nice tears of nostalgia, even though the music had come from a sad time.

Ace hummed for Luffy for a long time as he flew. Eventually, Ace stopped, as it was night time now, and he was going to bed. _Wake me when you wake up tomorrow. I love you, Luffy. Don't lose hope. I'll try not to as well._

_I love you, too. I will try not to. Goodnight._

-x-

After Ace had asked the Whitebeard's what the moving piece of paper was, and had relayed his warning to Luffy, Ace had gone and isolated himself. He didn't want to cry in front of others. He was so scared for Luffy. He wanted to be there to protect him from bag guys and fear.

He didn't go out to eat that night. He didn't want to be around anyone while Luffy was so alone. Wandering the vast New World all by himself, finding nice people only to have to leave. And here Ace was, crying even though he had so much support on the ship.

Thatch brought him his food, and knocked on the door. "I brought you some dinner. Try and come to breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight," Thatch said through the door and left. Ace stood, facing the closed door for a few minutes. How did he deserve such nice people? It wasn't fair for him to have all of them and Luffy have no one.

Eventually, he opened the door and brought the trays of food inside to eat, sitting on Luffy's mattress, which was where he slept at night. When he felt sad, sometimes he'd just go into his and Luffy's room and sit on the mat.

He cried himself to sleep, feeling weak, but not trying to stop the tears. As long as the others didn't see him like this, then Ace was fine to be emotional by himself. He dreamt of Luffy's memories again that night. But, it was a nice dream. His time with the minks. Ace couldn't thank them enough for not only feeding him, but giving him a reprieve from this nightmare, regardless of how short it had been.

The next morning, Ace came to a decision at breakfast. Thatch had cheerfully greeted him when he entered the galley, long before the others. He was the first at the table he usually sat at. Thatch came over and sat next to him.

"How are you feeling today?" Thatch asked, causing Ace to look embarrassed.

"Better, I guess," he mumbled, looking at his food and suddenly not wanting to eat any of it at all.

"Y'know, I know my crew cried when they thought I was going to die. Commanders, too. That's what family does. We get emotional when one of us is in pain. There's nothing to be embarrassed about one bit. And we're here for you to talk with whenever you are comfortable," Thatch said kindly, not focusing on Ace, who had tears down his face.

He turned and hugged Thatch tightly, crying softly. Thatch pat Ace's back and returned the hug. "We'll find him. Don't worry. We have allies, Shanks, and our islands, if he lands on one of many, they will call us. Probably panicking over the sight of a dragon, but we'll know. Plus, there are Whitebeard flags there, so Luffy will most likely see one.

"And, even if people on the islands react hostile, Luffy escaped from a man like Doflamingo. Weak, ordinary people or pirates won't _stand a CHANCE. _It's going to work out, I know it. We'll go to the ends of the earth to rescue one of our own," Thatch assured. "Now why don't you eat some breakfast?" Ace nodded and sniffled, heating his body to get rid of the moisture on his cheeks and below his nose.

Thatch sweat a bit, but was in awe with how well Ace could manipulate his abilities. "That's pretty cool. Does rain not work on you?" he asked, changing the subject. Ace nodded as he dug into the eggs.

"I also don't need to use a towel. If my clothes get wet I can heat them and then they're dry," Ace explained, thankful for the change in topic. Thatch was about to stand up and go back to the kitchen when Ace quickly spoke up.

"If... you guys found out what I was hiding, would you kick me off the ship?" he asked very quietly, but loud enough for Thatch to hear. He just grinned at him.

"Ace, we welcomed you on knowing that both you and Luffy committed genocide. I think whatever you are hiding won't change a thing. And if you're really worried about that, then just don't tell us. We already know you aren't a devil fruit user, but we've speculated that since the beginning. Don't worry about it," and he left, leaving Ace feeling better than he had in days.

"Thatch, when we get Luffy back, I'll tell you," Ace said strongly.

"Sounds like a plan," Thatch replied with a wink and walked back to the kitchen. Ace ate contentedly, wondering if staying on this ship would be better than becoming a pirate captain himself. Sure, he would like the authority, but he was also thinking of Luffy's wellbeing.

He now had a bounty, and was extremely noticeable. Ace might not be enough to protect him. Also, there was a lot more room on the Moby Dick than any ship he and Luffy would be able to afford, even if they still had a lot of money left, tucked safe behind Ace's bed.

Ace would definitely talk to Luffy about it. But, he had said it just last night, that even if they don't stay or even don't become pirates, he would never part with Luffy.

-x-

Luffy flew through most of the night, not caring what time of day it was. He slept when he was tired, and he flew when he wasn't. Hours of flying got old quickly, when all you see is a pirate ship in the distance maybe once a day. The Grand Line was a lot smaller it felt. But, he and Ace had a log pose in that sea. For all Luffy knew, he could be retracing his steps and not even noticing it. The sea was endless with no landmarks to even possibly show his destination.

When the sun began to rise, Luffy was tired, and instead of making the ball of ice float on the surface, he weighed it down enough that only a little bit of it would stick out of the ocean, and the rest would bob just under the surface. It was less likely he'd be seen if he did it this way. It made him feel safer and it was easier to sleep that way.

He did as Ace asked, and when he woke up, told him that he was okay and still flying straight. He watched the surface of the water, looking for any kind of food, maybe a school of dolphins, to snatch up and eat, raw or not. He was hungry, and had never realized, until he didn't have it, just how much he loved food.

He wanted candy, and fruits, and vegetables, and bread, and meat, and sweet drinks. When he got back to the Moby, he was expecting a feast for his return. He'd eat until he felt sick, and then he'd eat the next meal, and every meal after that. He'd never skip food again.

He flew the whole day, not finding land, but seeing one little ship. It had no black flag on it, and he could hear little kids. A merchant ship, maybe? He wasn't going to frighten the children and cause a problem, even though they might have food. Luffy was scared, and didn't want to spread it.

He flew high enough that he looked like a bird from the surface. Luffy was just hoping he'd come across food somewhere else.

But, he didn't, and he regretted not raiding the merchant ship, even just for a little bit of food, for the rest of the day. He found no more ships or land, and mostly talked to Ace the whole day. It was nice that Ace had no bad news for him that day. Luffy hoped Doflamingo's men, or whoever was after the vivre card, followed it only for it to lead to below the water. Maybe they'd think Luffy drowned. Well, either way, it would suck to be them.

He felt secure in knowing that Zunisha had probably walked far away from her original spot where Luffy had found her. He had made sure to make the vivre card far from her and those living on her back. He wished he could have been able to ask her history. Why was there a giant elephant in the first place? Luffy had never heard of animals being that big. It was even bigger than the biggest sea kings he or he and Ace had come across.

Besides being starving, the day was nice. The weather was calm as he was able to fly around storms, and he wasn't attacked or given bad news by his brother.

-x-

Ace mostly spent the day talking with Luffy and staring at the sea. For once, he had no bad news to give, and was just happy Luffy was okay so far. Marco approached him and asked how Luffy was.

"He's tired, and can't find food. He might starve be-before we get him back. He saw a merchant ship, but it had kids on it so he didn't approach it. I wish he would have," Ace muttered.

Marco sighed and sat down next to him. "Tell Luffy not to give up. If he comes across an island, to look for a flag being at the port of each island. Tell us if it's a Whitebeard or Shanks's jolly roger. We have no word of any sightings of him from any of our allies, or islands. It seems like he's only flying in a direction that misses all islands and people.

"By now, he should have come across an island. The last one was a few days ago, Dressrosa. Then he landed on Zou, though that isn't an island. I really wish he could somehow get a log pose," Marco grumbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing this whole mess would be over.

He never voiced it, but he carried the weight of Luffy's disappearance. Not only did he not get there in time to stop Teach, but he hadn't noticed that Teach was a bad guy. None of them did, but he especially should have known, with his phoenix senses. He was angry and disappointed with himself, for getting a child kidnapped, now all alone. Luffy had the brain of a human, and he was barely a teenager. How traumatizing this must be.

_Luffy, remember to try and find a flag on any island you come across._

_I know. I'm trying to find- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

* * *

**THAT'S RIGHT, CLIFF HANGER! MWAHAHAHA!**


	20. Nothing Anymore

**Chickie434: Mwahahaha you will have to read to find out!**

**Samster7241: I had to! The opportunity was too good!**

* * *

**Extremely short chapter since it's the segway into the final part. Not many more chapters to go. I'm gonna be sad when it's done. And if you really want to know what happens after this chapter, if it's killing you, PM me and I will answer the number one question everyone will have. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy was flying low, hungry and weak, desperately wishing a fish would jump out of the water. Anything. He was talking with Ace, wishing they had something more fun to talk about. Now, it was mostly warnings and recommendations on how to stay alive and free.

It was a boring topic. Ace had stopped talking, probably conversing with someone else, when he reminded, again, to make sure to look for flags on certain islands. He yawned as he flew slowly.

_I know. I'm trying to find- _but all he was able to do after that was scream and roar in pain and fear. He had gotten too close and careless with the water, and now he was trapped in the mouth of a sea king. He shrieked and writhed around, stabbing spikes of ice inside the mouth of the sea king. It bit down harder and he felt and heard the delicate bones of his wings crunch in the mouth of the monster, and felt skin tear away.

Luffy froze the inside of it, its whole body, making it into a frozen corpse, and kicked out of the side of its mouth, shattering the cheek and dragging himself out. He formed a piece of ice to catch himself.

He clawed his way to the edge of the ice sheet, away from the bloody, frozen mess of the sea king that had ripped off most of Luffy's left wing, rendering them useless. He continued to wail at the pain and utter hopelessness. He should have been more careful about being so close to the water.

The white ice turned red and slippery, but the good thing was that Luffy's wings were thin and mostly membrane, so he wouldn't die of blood loss. But this was it. He had no way to get anywhere anymore. He was going to die, all alone, starving and helpless on the sea of the dangerous New World. He couldn't even move the wing anymore without having sharp spikes of pain go through it and into his back.

He sobbed, in so much pain and so distressed that he had blocked out Ace's voice shouting in concern, and now just laid on his stomach, looking over the edge of the ice sheet. He cried his eyes out. Now, he was a sitting duck for anyone. Animal or humans. He looked down at the mangled mess, with leathery skin ripped apart. He'd never fly again.

There was just no way his wing could heal from this. He didn't want to die. Not alone and not like this. He sobbed his eyes out onto that ice. The only thing keeping him alive and from drowning. It had taken so long to be able to fly, and to have it ripped away from him in less than a minute crushed his morale.

At least Ace wasn't with him. If he was, they'd both be stranded. Now, Luffy couldn't even do what was unique to him. He was helpless, pathetic, and useless. He made sure not to look back at what had been his left wing.

Luffy never replied to Ace, unable to tell him it was time to say goodbyes. He couldn't, not yet. And Luffy didn't want to say goodbye. Not all alone. He was supposed to live thousands of years, yet he loses a wing as a teenager?

He laid on the ice for a long time, staring at the water beneath him, waiting for the next sea king to come, or an enemy pirate crew, or Marines. He wasn't getting back home to Ace. Finally, after almost drifting off to sleep, Ace's voice came back and Luffy could gather his thoughts. It was getting darker outside, and he was starving and thirsty.

_LUFFY?! GODDAMNIT, LUFFY, RESPOND! _He was hysterical, and Luffy felt bad for leaving him hanging for hours.

_Ace… _Luffy replied weakly. _I'm gonna die, Ace. _Ace gasped, and frantically asked what the hell Luffy was talking about. _A sea king got me. My left wing is destroyed. I'm gonna starve or get eaten, all by myself. I miss Sabo. Do you think I'll get to meet him again? Or not, since we're both mass murderers? _Luffy wondered, delirious with hunger and thirst.

_N… no, no Luffy, NO! You can't die! You can't leave me! Please, don't die, please! You can do it, your wing will be fine, _Ace tried to plead. Luffy knew he didn't mean to, but Ace's words just made him feel worse.

_I'm sorry. It's impossible for me to fly anymore. I don't want to leave you either, _Luffy replied in a flat and lifeless voice. _You made my life good. You and Sabo. I want you to stay with the Whitebeards, okay? You found another family. I- I'm sorry I can't be part of it with you._

Luffy started to feel strange in the head. He listened to Ace's pleading until it faded away. All of his thoughts faded away, and all that was left was the desire to eat, and live. He didn't remember anything anymore. The world was suddenly quiet, and all he thought about was survival.

He couldn't hear Ace's hopeless sobbing, didn't even know there was an Ace, or that there was a Luffy.

* * *

**End of part 3.**

* * *

**Poor Luffy, I put you through so much. I'm sorry Lu!**


	21. Four Months Later

**Samster7241: Sorry, lol. No more cliffhangers, promise!**

* * *

**I'm so sad, everyone. This is the second to last chapter. I've been posting this story since last September I think. And now it's gonna be over! And I'm almost done with a few of my other ones, too! Makes me bummed. :( We meet someone new in this chapter. Well not meet, pass by. And he ends up being very important even if he isn't in the story much. Posting this from school. 4 hour break between classes. FML. Anyways, enjoy~**

* * *

Ace sobbed horrible, heartbreaking sobs on deck as he curled into a ball, shaking with grief. He couldn't even feel Luffy in his head anymore. He felt colder than he ever had before. Even before his powers awakened. Luffy was gone. He knew that. That's why his mind and heart felt so empty.

Marco was kneeling in front of Ace, feeling panic. What had happened? "Ace, Ace? What's wrong? What's wrong with Luffy?" he questioned frantically, yelling at the pirates to stop staring and leave, only having the commanders remain.

Ace couldn't reply, though. His heart was broken. It felt like half of him was torn away and it hurt physically. He scraped his fingernails down his face, leaving red marks, but no blood came. He just wanted to feel anything other than his grief and pain. The emptiness. He felt empty.

The commanders all tried comforting him, still not knowing what had happened to Luffy to cause this reaction. But it wasn't good. They had an overall feeling that Luffy was dead. And it made all of them _hate _themselves. That they couldn't save Luffy, couldn't take back one of their own and now he was dead.

-x-

Thatch carried a comatose Ace to his own room, not his and Luffy's. It was in an area of the ship that there would be no other sounds. And the pirates under the commanders wouldn't come to this part of the ship.

He laid Ace down on his bed, taking his boots off, with Haruta, Marco and Izo nearby and looking very unsettled and upset. Was Ace broken? Had some sort of bond the brothers had broken and now Ace couldn't function anymore?

They still hadn't gotten any answers as what had happened to Luffy, and if Ace stayed in this state, they would never know. Ace's eyes looked empty, without that fire of life, or determination, or happiness, joy, sadness, anger. Nothing.

**-Four Months Later-**

"To Ace!" the crew cheered as they raised their mugs to the new second division commander. This was something that had to happen. Ace was worthy of the role due to his strength, but he needed a purpose in life. After Luffy was gone, he didn't speak for over a week. He refused to eat, so had been forced to eat, and ended up in the infirmary by purposely trying to starve himself.

The crew, his new family, did the best they could to get Ace back. Any part of Ace, but Luffy's assumed death had cripppled him, and he lost a lot of weight and color. The only thing that ended up keeping him going was fighting. Fighting other pirate crews, Marines, anyone they came across who wasn't a civilian. It was the only thing that got Ace to show any emotion, so they let him fight as much as he wanted.

That's what started to coax him back out of his shell. He had been appointed second division commander, finally filling the space, to give him something to live for. And what brought him back the most was protecting someone. Well, multiple someones. His crew, and family.

"Luffy" was a name that no one said anymore. Not yet, Ace wasn't ready. They still had no idea what had happened to the poor dragon. Something bad, clearly. There had been no update or sightings that raised the bounty, so it was clear that Luffy had somehow died. Somehow painfully, based on the way Ace had reacted that day.

Ace raised his mug, which still wasn't alcohol, and thanked everyone with a half-there smile. It was a smile, but it wasn't a true one. They were glad Ace hadn't coped by turning to alcohol, not that they were even sure he could get drunk in the first place.

The young man still hadn't told them what his secret was. He had said he would tell when they got Luffy back. They didn't, so he might never tell them, and that was fine. It was his business. _Only_ his, now that Luffy was gone.

Ace looked down at his water, his thoughts drifting back to what island they'd go to next. They were just journeying from island to island like they would have before Ace and… the dragon came. The second division commander didn't even think of the name anymore. Not yet, and he didn't know when he'd be able to face what he'd truly lost in the long term.

"Berri for your thoughts?" Haruta asked as he sat down next to his close friend, guzzling his mug of rum.

"Just wondering which island we'll go to next," Ace replied truthfully. "Izo keeps wanting me to get off the ship, but I don't want to."

Harta sighed and looked up at the stars. "Getting off the ship would be good for you. You can go get some books or go shopping for clothes. You've been on the ship for months, not even coming off to any of the islands we've docked at."

He wanted to say that it was a drastic change from Ace's life of being outdoors and around, but maybe that was the point. Ace didn't want to go explore, because that's what he'd done with his brothers, who were both now gone. But, he didn't say that.

"I don't know. Maybe," Ace replied. "I just… don't feel like trying anything new yet."

"Well, as commander, you'll have to help out more with the ship's functioning, and the crew getting along. We'll have to train you pretty good," Haruta said and wrapped an arm around Ace's shoulders, making sure not to touch the sensitive tattoo still healing on Ace's back.

"I know," Ace replied simply, taking a sip of his water.

Haruta looked at him in almost disappointment. "You really need to try some alcohol, Ace. You don't know what you're missing out on." He would then regret those words, for not twenty minutes later, Ace's drunk personality was determined.

Ace giggled helplessly after every sip of rum. This would be just fine, as it was good the alcohol didn't depress Ace, except for the fact that he was now spewing out information like a fountain.

"Hehe, h-hey, you wan-nna know mah ssssecret?" he whispered loudly in Haruta's ear, only everyone else could hear, too. The commanders' eyes went wide as they turned to see Ace hiccup and giggle, before starting, "I'm not even hu-" but soon Haruta's hand was clamped over Ace's mouth.

"Eh, Ace, how about we talk about something else?" Haruta said awkwardly, yanking his hand away from Ace's mouth after the young man licked it and then fell on his back, laughing uncontrollably, ignoring the itchy feeling of his tattoo hitting the deck. It was disgusting, and Haruta would forever use it to tease Ace.

"B-But, don't you wannnna know?" he chuckled.

"No, Ace, we don't wanna know," Marco said sternly. Whitebeard watched with concern and also amusement. But, the commander had gained attention from those close enough to hear him. They could have sworn he was going to say he wasn't even human, but got cut off.

"Aaanndd _you _all want- _hic_-ted me to drink."

"Yeah, but not if you were gonna spill important secrets and information," Thatch countered. It really looked like Ace was a light drinker, as he'd barely had two mugs before he was completely smashed.

"Hah! You know, Luuuffy said I'd talk lots, too!" and he erupted into giggles again. The whole deck grew quiet as the pirates watched the young man. He didnt start to cry, or even acknowledge the name he'd mentioned. But, not long after that, Ace blacked out and fell asleep, spilling the rum on his bare chest as he slumped into Haruta's lap.

"Well… looks like we won't be getting Ace drunk again anytime soon," Haruta said with an awkward laugh as he lowered Ace to the ground so his back wouldn't be irritated.

"Luffy would be so disappointed in us," Marco said quietly before he tipped back his drink and downed the whole mug, sighing once it was empty. "But, he finally acknowledged that Luffy did exist."

"Yeah, too bad he's DRUNK," Izo said. "But... it might be a start." The party resumed, Ace sleeping deeply on deck.

-x-

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Shanks asked the transponder snail in a panic. "Dogtooth came and left a monster?"

He was speaking with Yukiryu island, who were all in a panic. Apparently, Charlotte Katakuri had arrived and released a black monster onto the island, and then left. The monster had attacked some pirates that went after him, and then fled up the mountain and disappeared into the snow.

"Yes! It looks like a dragon would in drawings, but it doesn't have any wings. We didn't get too good a look at it before it fled into the woods of the mountain, but we could see it has frills on the neck. We need help," the civilian pleaded.

Shanks was sharing startled and shocked looks with his crew in the communications room. It would make sense that Dogtooth would stop at that island as it was one of the ones on the way to Totto Land, but why on earth would he release some sort of monster onto the island and then leave?

But, when the word "dragon" was said, it caught everyone's attention and they were glued to the transponder snail, wanting more information. Luffy was the only black beast that looked like a dragon, but again, why would he be with Katakuri? Luffy had died months ago, according to the Whitebeards.

He had stopped responding to Ace, which everyone knew he wouldn't stop unless he had died. It would have helped if they knew how Luffy had died, but Ace never specified. They barely got out of him that "Luffy was gone". It had been very upsetting to the Red-Haired pirates, as they had liked the dragon.

"_Don't_ try and kill it. Leave it alone, let it steal your food if it tries. We'll be there as soon as possible."

It was lucky they were nearby, only maybe a week away. Hopefully, the wingless dragon wouldn't kill anyone. It was best not to antagonize a wild animal and leave it be until someone can take care of it. Shanks hung up the call and turned to the crew, "We're going to Yukiryu island, now."

-x-

Ace woke up feeling worse than he ever had before. He was in his new room, which was bigger than his and Luffy's converted storage room. He turned to the side and vomited into an empty trash can that had been placed there for him. Ugh, he felt like shit.

He was never gonna get drunk again. Last night, though he remembered he felt happy, didn't feel good enough to wake up to a hangover. It felt like when he'd been drugged, only that now he was extremely nauseous. He shook off the thoughts of that dark time. He shut down that train of thought and went to his mini, private bathroom to brush his teeth.

He was sweaty and had circles under his eyes. God, he felt sick. But then he thought back to the comparison of being drugged. He had been able to burn out the traces of the drugs. He closed his eyes and heated his body up as high as he could while still staying in human form and not turning into a flaming man.

"...Ugh!" he shouted and went back to his normal temperature, blinking clearly. He grinned. A mere hangover wouldn't defeat Ace! He laughed as he showered and brushed his teeth. He honestly couldn't remember anything that happened after he became intoxicated.

Then he looked at his smiling face in the mirror, and lost it. He turned away from the mirror, feeling guilty. He shouldn't be happy. He swallowed heavily and then went to his room to get dressed in his shorts and boots.

He wasn't expecting people to be looking at him weird on his way to the galley for breakfast. He passed it off as them confused of why he wasn't hung over. He was the only one to make it to the room without throwing up or needing to take a break.

Even Thatch was sick, while the chefs who weren't allowed to drink that night made the food. Ace greedily scarfed down everything he could reach at the table, sure that no one would be able to eat it anyways, as almost the whole ship was hung over. Ace couldn't help but gloat about his ability to just burn out unwanted substances from his body.

After eating, with the commanders still not having left their bedrooms, Ace wandered through the ship, going out of his way to make a roundabout route so he didn't have to walk past his and Luffy's old room.

He was surprised to find Whitebeard out on deck, sure that he must've drunk himself under the table with last night's party. The man turned to his newest son with a smile. "I guess your powers help get rid of hangovers as well as drugs?" he asked jovially. Ace nodded. "You sure are a… _happy _drunk," the captain commented with a laugh.

"Oh no… What did I do?" Ace asked in worry. Had he done something extremely embarrassing? Whitebeard looked out at the sea.

"Well, first you almost spilled out your secrets in front of the whole crew." Ace looked mortified. "Don't worry, son, Haruta stopped you before you could finish your sentence, but I think it's clear what you were going to say." He looked to Ace was a kind expression.

"Wh… What did I say?" Ace asked, his mouth dry.

"You 'aren't even human'. You also licked Haruta's hand and soon passed out, giggling helplessly," Whitebeard replied truthfully. Ace was horrified. "A very talkative drunk, you were."

Ace sat down on deck suddenly, putting his head into his hands. "Is that why everyone is looking at me strangely? Even if I hadn't said that, I licked Haruta's hand? What else did I do?" the new commander asked.

"If they are looking at you, it is most likely because of what you said. Though, Haruta will never let you live down licking his hand. You also mentioned someone who we haven't talked about in a long time," Whitebeard said gently. Ace flinched, and slowly asked what he'd said, clenching his jaw. He wasn't going to cry in front of anyone again. He was supposed to be an important figure now.

"Apparently, Luffy told you that you would most likely talk a lot if you got drunk. He knew you well," the captain said. Tears steamed off of Ace's face, as he bit his lip harshly.

"Heh, yeah, he did," Ace agreed, looking out at the sea.

"It's okay to talk about him. It's been a couple months, and all we do is avoid his name. Don't you think he'd want you to think about him in happiness?" Whitebeard asked kindly. Ace looked ashamed.

"I know… It's just… a lot different than when we lost Sabo. Sabo died with us, we knew what happened and we grieved together. Luffy… he… Sabo died immediately. Luffy didn't," Ace admitted. Whitebeard didn't respond, wanting Ace to talk more about it. But then, he finally asked the question everyone wanted the answer to.

"How did he die, Ace?"

"S-Sea king got him. Ripped his wing off. I heard him screaming the whole time. He apologized, and then he was just gone. I don't even have a picture of him, except that awful wanted poster," the young man said with a sniffle. "I had Luffy to help me. Now, I have no brother left. I mean different than the rest of the crew. Being a brother with Luffy and Sabo was completely different than what the relationship of the crew is."

Whitebeard sighed, and stood up and walked to Ace, hugging him as Ace teared up. "I know what you mean. You and Luffy shared a very, very special bond." Ace nodded his head against Whitebeard's chest.

"He's the only reason I have my fire powers," Ace admitted. "They only awakened when Luffy hatched. I almost set the house on fire. Then, me and Sabo, with out six year old brains, made a campfire inside our first bedroom because we didn't want to have to take Luffy outside to eat. Caught the bedroom on fire, and I was only able to save my baby brother by using my fire powers. Saved him and Sabo from burning alive from a damn _indoor campfire!" _he chuckled brokenly at the end.

"Well, you were six," Whitebeard reasoned with his own gruff chuckle.

"Even six year olds should know better."

"I'll give you that one," the man chuckled. Ace looked at him strangely. The captain noticed this. "What is it?"

Ace looked at his hands, which were resting on the railing. "You don't care? Ab-bout me not being… y'know…?"

"I don't care. It doesn't change who you are, though it makes me very curious," Whitebeard admitted. "I always expected that you didn't have a devil fruit, and weren't fully human. After all, a dragon was your biological brother. Can I ask more about it? I don't want you feeling pressured to answer, though. If you don't want to answer, then don't."

Ace looked up at him, only seeing his reassuring face with a soft smile. "You know the pirate king? Gold Roger?" Whitebeard looked surprised with the mention of the man. How was he related to this story? But he nodded.

"Of course, we were rivals and friends," Whitebeard added. Ace smiled a small smile.

"He fell in love with a woman who could turn into a dragon. That woman gave birth to a baby boy in her human form, and a tiny black egg in dragon form. The dragon egg matured and was taken care of the human boy. That's my family history. Monkey D. Garp took me and Luffy's egg from Portgas D. Rouge, who was on her deathbed. I don't know what she would have named Luffy, but she named me Ace."

Whitebeard looked shocked. He would have never guessed that Gol D. Roger would be blood related to Ace and Luffy. It was a complete surprise. Then he chuckled. "Of course that man fell in love with a dragon."

"I will also stop aging once I'm in my mid twenties. I'll outlive everyone on this ship. That's why losing Luffy is so devastating. I'll outlive everyone, all alone. I thought I was invincible before the whole drugging ordeal. I can also hold my breath underwater for eleven minutes," Ace finished. "That's all. Now you know everything." He snuck a look at his captain's face. He still hadn't called him "pops". He wasn't ready to accept calling anyone father or brother. Not yet, and the crew understood why. Ace had completely lost his first family. Accepting another right afterwards would be insensitive and hard.

Whitebeard looked completely happy. "I'm glad you told me. It was a very interesting story. No one will look at you differently. Besides, you're at least half human, right?" Ace smiled a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I remember, when Gramps first came to see me after Luffy hatched, Luffy refused to be near him. He remembered even through the shell of his egg the damn asshole beating me," Ace grumbled. "He was a bad caretaker. Left me with a bunch of bandits and told them to raise me. They didn't like me. Luffy and Sabo saved me from being too damaged from a neglectful home life."

Whitebeard scowled, disappointed in Garp. But that old nut probably thought he was training Ace. Yet, still, beating a child is wrong. And it made the fact that Luffy had been eaten even worse. Ace's savior had died in a painful manner. It was too cruel, for someone as young as Luffy to be _eaten_ by a sea king. For anyone to be eaten by a sea king would be terrible, but the life that lead up to Luffy's death was just absolutely miserable. What a way to end a life. In misery, fear and then excruciating pain. The world was cruel.

Whitebeard then stood up straight and watched as a large ship passed theirs a little ways off. The captain looked very serious as he watched the ship. Ace looked from the man to the obscured ship, unable to see the jolly roger.

"What, who is it?" Ace asked.

"That's Charlotte Katakuri. Wonder what he's doing out this far from Big Mom's territory. There are no claimed islands in that direction. Only one of Red Hair's protected islands." Ace's eyes widened in surprise.

"The guy with a billion berri bounty?" Ace asked. He still couldn't believe his technical wanted poster was over five times that. He was glad there had been no update on who had done it. Meaning, they were likely not to look into it deeper if no one had connected Luffy's powers to that of what happened in the Mary Geious Massacre. They had pulled it off spectacularly.

"That's him. Makes me curious… I'll go and get some breakfast. Hopefully not everyone is painfully hung over," the captain said as he lead Ace back into the ship.

* * *

**I love Katakuri. He's my favorite One Piece antagonist, so of course I had to include him! But, why was he here? Hmm, find out in the next chapter!**


	22. Discovery

**I am absolutely shocked and horrified that this chapter has been missing from this story that ended being posted months ago. I cannot believe this I'm so angry at myself. So here's the missing chapter I guess! Fml, I'm so sorry.**

* * *

Shanks paced back and forth on deck as they headed to Yukiryu island as quickly as possible. Luffy was dead. Ace had said that, but the descriptions to this monster matched Luffy! The black color, size, and the frills especially. Well, they'd find out. And Shanks would not tell the Whitebeard's about this until he knew for sure, absolutely _sure _it was Luffy or not. If it was, then Shanks would reunite the brothers.

Somehow they had stopped conversing, making it seem as though Luffy had died. But, Shanks was really hoping it was Luffy. That he could find that sweet dragon and bring him back to his family, who was devastated when it happened.

Whitebeard had called him the night of Luffy's supposed passing, letting him know he didn't have to look anymore, and that Luffy was gone. It was hard to hear, even if they'd only ever met once.

They reached the island in good time, only taking a few days instead of over a week. The weather was with them instead of against. They had only run into one storm on their course to the island needing help.

The Red Haired pirates docked at the port, many of the civilians running to them, frantic about the monster that apparently made some sort of nest at the mountain. Since it was always storming up there, they couldn't see the nest, or what it was made out of.

"Has it killed anyone since it came, or has it been isolated to the mountain?" Shanks asked seriously.

"Some pirates went up after it, but never came back. We did as you said and no one approached it. It hasn't come down for any food, so it might have hunted in the woods," a woman explained with her young child. It had everyone on edge.

Shanks squinted, but was still unable to see anything on the mountain. He would have to go up and check, and if it wasn't Luffy, he'd take care of it in anyway he could. He could just tame it and send it off, or kill it. He'd prefer a peaceful interaction, and not an altercation.

"And you say Charlotte Katakuri dropped it off?" The woman nodded. An older man walked over, having been the one to see it first.

"That's right," the old fishman began. "He stopped at the eastern docks, where I was fishing. Seemed the monster didn't want to leave the ship, but was just dumped here and left. Dogtooth said something about needing to go back home, and that home was dangerous for the monster. It was a strange sight, albeit a bit sad."

"So, it wasn't dumped here because Katakuri didn't want him, just that it was what was best for it?" Shanks asked in disbelief. He had never thought of any of the Charlottes being kind, based on the things they have done to their enemies. But really, Shanks has brutally killed people as well. "Well, let's go see what it is and what it wants," he said, giving a reassuring smile to the villagers. "Beckman, I only want you. Everyone else, maintain the ship and help calm the villagers. We'll be back in a bit."

The climb up the mountain was steep, and the weather was not on their side. Snow pelted at them, but they kept going on. They had to know if it was Luffy or not. They wouldn't wait for the weather to possibly get better. And they would keep their weapons drawn. It would not take long to unsheath them if they were necessary.

"Oh my god," Beckman muttered when he found the pirates, spikes of ice stabbed through their chests. "It is him. That's Luffy's power."

Shanks grinned, but then frowned. "We're going back for now. I want as much information on what happened to Luffy as possible. If something happened that caused him to go to Katakuri, or the fact that this monster has no wings… we need information."

It didn't take long for Shanks, Beckman and two others to be in the communications room, calling Whitebeard's personal transponder snail.

"_Well this is a surprise. What can I do for you, brat?" _the man's deep voice asked through the snail.

"What happened to Luffy? In specifics. We need some information. Is Ace in the room?" Shanks asked. He heard the door close on the other end.

"_No, Ace isn't here… why do you ask?"_

"Make sure he doesn't hear this conversation. I need you to tell me what happened to Luffy, in detail. He died, didn't he?" Shanks probed. Whitebeard was quiet on the other end, but spoke before Shanks repeated his question.

"_Luffy's wing was bitten off by a sea king. After that, he stopped responding to Ace, and Ace says that he died. Shanks, what is this about?" _Whitebeard asked.

"Captain, his wings. Maybe he had them amputated," Rockstar offered.

"That could be possible. But how would Dogtooth find him? Did _he _amputate them?" Shanks replied. "We have to go see ourselves. So, we know something traumatizing happened. We'll approach this like we know what is wrong with him."

"_Shanks? What is this -"_

"Sorry Newgate, I'll call ya back in a bit," and he hung up. He and Beckman went into the kitchen and filled a sack with food. They both hiked back up the mountain, hearts beating quickly, but not in fear. They were really hoping that this was Luffy, and that they could reason with him. But, trauma can change a person.

Once they passed the landmarks of the skewered pirates, they followed big footprints through the snow and came across a tall, thick wall of ice. Shanks hesitantly knocked on it. "Luffy?!" he called, and knocked again.

It was quiet for a moment before there was a loud roar from up the mountain, before an equally loud thud was made as the beast perched on the ledge of his ice wall. It _was _Luffy. But, he was different. Not only was he missing both wings, but his eyes were different. They were slitted, instead of round pupils.

"Hey, Luffy! Remember me, Shanks?" the yonko called. Luffy cocked his head and roared at him, jumping down from the perch and landing on the ground with a loud thud. He'd also gotten a bit bigger, though not by much. Bigger, but at the same time smaller without the presence of his thick, wide wings.

All that were there were two long, thick, and vertical scars along his sides and back. Shanks stepped back when Luffy snarled at him. "Hey, Luffy, what's wrong? Don't you remember me? Shanks, remember? You came on my ship with Ace, asking about the Celestial Dragons," Shanks said, feeling unease. He wouldn't kill Luffy, but he also would protect himself.

Luffy snarled at him louder. Beckman pulled his gun up when Luffy charged, but Shanks unleashed his Conquerors Haki, causing Luffy to halt, but not pass out. His eyes widened before the slitted pupils changed shape into round ones. The dragon looked dazed.

"Luffy? Do you recognize me now?" Shanks asked hopefully. Luffy nodded his head, ashamed of attacking his old friend. "Hey, no need to be upset. You didn't hurt us, and now you're back with us." Luffy nodded his head again, and looked around, like he didn't really know where he was. He looked confused.

"We brought you some food," Beckman said and dropped the big sack onto the snow, dumping all of the meats and produce onto the snow. Luffy scarfed it down like a starving animal. But, he looked healthy. Was Katakuri really taking care of him all this time? Only Ace would be able to know by asking Luffy.

Oh, how _happy _he'll be. His brother was alive! "Do you wanna go back to Ace?" Shanks asked kindly, Luffy frantically nodding his head.

-x-

It was like everything was in black and white, and then became colored again when Luffy looked at Shanks. Seconds ago, he hadn't recognized the man, and saw him as a threat. Now though, he remembered, everything. He had forgotten who he had been after he got attacked by that sea king.

He could remember laying on the ice, bleeding from the wing, starving. Then, he was on the deck of a ship, surrounded by fresh food. He had inhaled all of it, painfully hungry. The man who had saved him was large, bigger than Luffy, but smaller than Whitebeard. He had an angry face, but Luffy, in his primal state, didn't sense any hostility from the man, but growled at him anyways, in a warning.

Doctors had come to help him, and then the next thing he knew he was back on the deck, feeling lighter, as both of his wings had been amputated. Now, he knew it was for the best as there would have been no way he could walk with one wing different then the other. So, getting rid of both of them was the right move, though it sucked.

Being on that ship with that man for the next couple months had made the healing smooth. Luffy hadn't left the ship in all of that time. Katakuri seemed to have recognized Luffy from his wanted poster, and kept him safe and didnt turn him in.

He remembered hearing Katakuri explain to one of the crew that it was "not Mama's order, so I don't need to collect or kill him. We'll keep him until we go back home". Then, they'd sailed a long distance of the New World, and then back the way they came.

Considering Luffy had been feral for that time, it showed the level of respect as a creature Katakuri demanded, where Luffy never attacked him. He was even upset when he was brought to this island. But, it was a safe island as pirates wouldn't be there much, and there were no Marine bases on it.

Now, he was walking down the mountain, unable to fly. He had come to terms that he couldn't be considered a dragon anymore. He couldn't fly, and therefore couldn't take Ace on journey's with him anymore. He hoped Ace was still happy and stayed with the Whitebeards. Did he miss him?

_Ace?_

-x-

_Ace?_

The commander's eyes widened impossibly at the voice in his head. He must still be drunk, even though that was days ago and he felt perfectly normal. Then... he must be hallucinating.

_Ace? Are you there?_

Ace spit out all of his food, breathing heavily. _L...Luffy? _He asked hesitantly. It was a strange feeling, after so long of not talking like this to someone else.

_Yeah… _If others weren't watching Ace already, they sure were when he burst into tears. _I'm sorry I scared you. A lot of stuff happened. I… I just blacked out, but now I remember everything. I'm with Shanks._

_Luffy! You're alive! I- I was so so horrified! I was all alone! Come to me as fast as possible! _Ace shouted in overwhelming relief.

_I… I can't. We can't go on adventures anymore. We can't go home. My wings are gone. I can't fly anymore, _Luffy said, sounding ashamed.

_That doesn't matter. As long as we're together, right? I also want to stay on this ship, with the Whitebeards. They made me a commander. It was the only way I could cope. I actually got appointed a couple days ago. It's been so hard without you, _Ace said, ignoring those around him asking frantically if he was okay.

_I'm happy you've been with other people. So have I. It's a long story, but I'll tell you when I see you again. I will see you again, right? _Luffy pleaded.

_Of course!_

"Someone get pops!" Marco called while the others tried to get Ace to answer them, but he wouldn't. He just kept crying. But, the commanders could tell, everyone could, that these were not tears of grief, but happiness. Ace hadn't been happy in a long time.

-x-

The transponder snail rang again, and Whitebeard picked it up immediately. "Brat?" he asked, peeved that he had been hung up on.

"_Yeah, sorry about that Newgate. We found someone that you should definitely come pick up. I'm sure Ace knows already," _Shanks said with a grin. Whitebeard frowned in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" the captain questioned. "Who do we need to pick up?"

"_Luffy. He's alive. He's with us right now," _Shanks said, still beaming. Whitebeard almost dropped the receiver, thoroughly shocked. He had rarely been this surprised and taken off guard. "_We don't know why communication stopped between Ace and Luffy, but we know who's been keeping him safe all this time… Dogtooth Katakuri. He apparently dropped Luffy off before heading back to Totto Land."_

"So, that's why he was in these waters. We saw him not long ago. I wish we could have thanked him. We will be there as soon as we can to take back our missing family member. Thank you, Shanks. What island are you at?" Whitebeard questioned, beaming himself.

"_Yukiryu island," _Shanks responded. Just then, the door banged open and Izo was shown.

"Pops! There's something wrong with Ace. He's crying," Izo rushed, but was caught off guard when Whitebeard smiled at this. Why would he be happy Ace was crying his eyes out?

"We'll be there soon, brat. Should only take a few days. Thank you," Whitebeard said and hung up the snail. He then turned to his son, beaming. He walked across the room and past Izo, heading towards the kitchen, where Ace was and everyone was freaking out about him.

"Ace is fine, son. He has just learned some very good news." Izo looked confused at this, wondering what on earth was happening, and why Ace had just suddenly started crying. Good news? What good news would Ace just burst into tears about with no warning?

The captain and Izo walked into the galley to see dozens of people crowded around Ace, who was sitting at the table, hunched over, his face in his hands, crying. Whitebeard gained everyone's attention.

"Sons, we will be heading straight for Yukiryu island. There is someone we need to pick up: Luffy. Luffy is alive, and we're going to take him back. How does that sound, Ace?" Whitebeard asked gently and with a soft smile.

"Mmhmm," was all Ace could get out. The room erupted into cheers and shouts of celebration. Ace continued to cry, though the sobs had subsided into teary sniffles. _We're coming, Luffy._

_Hurry._


	23. How It Should Always Be

**Jennifer L: I love Katakuri, so I made him have an important role. I think (hope) you will like the end!**

* * *

**Here we are. The end of this story. I've never been so sad to stop posting a story, and most of them are coming closer to being wrapped up. Only a few more chapters of To Raise a Vampire, which has by far been my most popular story. :( I'm gonna miss my regular reviewers. Thank you for sticking with it, I know it's been a long one. Anyways, I hope you like the ending. And wish me luck on my programming midterm tomorrow! Coding is the worst.**

**I could have split this chapter into two due to the length, but it wouldn't flow right. Enjoy~**

* * *

Luffy stayed on Shanks ship for the time he waited for Ace to come get him. It felt like it had been years since he'd been with his big brother. He was worried Ace might not care about him as much as he used to. He had assimilated closer into the Whitebeard crew. Maybe he'd forgotten about Luffy. Maybe he didn't love him so much anymore. Luffy had stopped responding, so maybe Ace could be angry about that.

He was stressed about it, but couldn't bring himself to ask about Ace's thoughts on it. He was afraid of the answer, or that he'd hurt Ace's feelings by thinking he had grown out of his precious brother.

Now that Ace had a solid seat in the crew, as an important member, maybe Luffy wouldn't be included anymore. But, if Ace wasn't there for him, he'd be all alone again. No way to talk to anyone. Ace would be more important to the crew.

Luffy put his hands over his eyes as he lay on his stomach, nervous about meeting everyone again. He was also embarrassed to see them all, after everything that had happened. How he never made it home and instead got eaten by a sea king and lost his ability to fly.

He was a bad brother, letting Ace think he was dead. He never wanted to succumb to his dragon side again. Lose everything human about him and become feral. If it hadn't been Shanks who found him, Luffy would have no doubt killed anyone who came to get him. Would he have recognized Ace? Would he have attacked his overjoyed big brother?

Was he really a monster? That's what everyone on the island thought. Luffy was beast, not a dragon, without his wings. He raised his head to look back at the skin and boney stumps where his wings had been. But, Katakuri had done the right thing with having both wings amputated. At least at the time, it was correct to do.

Luffy had been unable to walk a single step after he lost the use of one of his wings. Maybe that's what kept him from outright attacking the big man. He really wished he could have shown his gratitude to the man. He was nice to him. It hadn't clicked who he was, since Luffy had lost all his memories for those months away and on a different ship.

The day Ace was to arrive, Luffy hid inside the ship, barely fitting through the halls. The good thing about being on Katakuri's ship was that he was big, like Whitebeard, so Luffy could fit inside.

Luffy was worried about meeting Ace. He was excited to be reunited, but didnt know what to expect. He shed more than a few tears thinking about what could go wrong.

-x-

Ace stood on the yardarm, watching the island get closer and closer. He then saw Shanks's ship. Luffy was there. He really hoped Luffy wasn't upset with him not being able to save him. For putting him through all of those terrible days and those mysterious months, where he didnt know what Luffy was doing or where he was. And why he had stopped responding.

Ace became too impatient with the ship's slow pace. He didn't care about everyone knowing if he was a devil fruit user or not anymore. He dropped down to the deck easily, and jumped over the side of the ship and into the water, swimming quickly to the shore.

"Hey, Ace! What are you doing?!" Haruta shouted in anger. They were almost there, why did he endanger himself by swimming in New World waters? And he clearly didn't give a shit anymore about people thinking he was a devil fruit user. Well, everyone knew he wasn't normal due to his little slip up while drunk. But, thankfully, no one shunned him. They were just painfully curious.

Ace jumped onto the dock, warming himself so he was completely dry, and ran to Shanks's ship. He jumped onto the deck and looked around for Luffy. Where was he? Ace was sure he'd be waiting out on deck for him, and grew worried when he wasn't.

"Shanks, where's Luffy?" Ace asked worriedly.

"Inside. He seems nervous to meet you again," Shanks informed as he lead Ace inside and to the storage room Luffy could barely fit in. He was hiding in the dark behind some crates. Ace frowned at Shanks's words, but when the door opened and he saw Luffy, all attention was on his brother.

Shanks left the room to give them some alone time. Ace had tears in his eyes as he staggered to his brother and collapsed against him, hugging around his thick neck. Ace ignored the sight of the missing wings, and closed his eyes, just resting against the most important person in his life.

"I missed you so much, Luffy," Ace said, finally able to speak to Luffy aloud.

_I'm sorry, _Luffy whispered as he wrapped one arm around Ace's back, rubbing his head on Ace's shoulder. _I'm sorry I stopped responding, I'm sorry I got eaten by a sea king, I'm sorry I let you think I was dead, I'm sorry I got kidnapped, I'm sorry-"_

"Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who let you get taken, and couldn't do anything to get you back," Ace countered, confused as to why Luffy was acting like this.

The dragon looked at the floor and not Ace. "What's wrong?"

_Now that you're important on the ship, will you still spend time with me? _Luffy asked, with shiny eyes. _Can I still be important to you? _The younger brother begged. Ace gently took his face and lifted it so Luffy was facing him.

"You will always be the most important person in my life. Always. I want us to stay with the Whitebeards, but my condition of still being a commander was that you are one, too. Joint with me, even though you won't be able to speak. You're going to be with me all day, every day. I'll resign if there's not enough time for both of us.

"My role as your brother is so much more important to me than being someone in charge on the ship. You will never be put below someone else. And if you don't want to stay on the ship, I'll go with you. Never again will we be apart," Ace explained slowly, keeping eye contact with Luffy to show how much he meant his words.

Luffy had tears streaming down his face as he looked at Ace. _Thank you. I… I want to stay on the ship. I don't want to endanger you, now that I'm useless._

Ace frowned. "What do you mean 'useless'?"

_My wings. They're gone. Now I really am just a monster. I'm not a dragon anymore, _Luffy explained sadly. Ace looked to the thick pink scars running along Luffy's back and sides. He gently ran his finger against it, feeling the harsh scar, though it was softer than the rest of Luffy's skin.

"Who cares if you're a dragon? Who cares if I'm a human? It doesn't matter, losing your wings has done nothing to change who you are. You're still my baby brother. And you still have your ice powers, right?" Luffy nodded, pushing his forehead against Ace's neck.

_I missed you._

"I missed you so much it hurt physically. Like part of me was ripped away when I thought you died." Luffy looked ashamed at that.

_I lost my human side. All I thought about was surviving. It was Katakuri who saved me from starving and being eaten by a sea king. Hey, do you know what mochi is? It tastes really good. It's a type of candy, _Luffy said with a smile.

"W-what? That billion bounty pirate saved you?" Ace asked in shock, sitting down, with Luffy's head on his lap. It wasn't possible for him to knead Ace in this position, so he kneaded the air, something he hadn't done in a long, long time. Not since he was kidnapped.

_Yeah. He was the one who amputated my wings, and helped me recover. We went to near the beginning of the New World on his business, and then back. He dropped me off here and went back to his home land. I wasn't myself when I was with him. I was… feral. I even tried to attack Shanks. It was only something he did that brought me back._

_For months, I didn't think of or remember you or who I was. I never want that to happen again. Never again, _Luffy explained.

Ace grinned. "See, there are nice humans out there. Not all are bad, right?" Luffy nodded in agreement. "I wish I could thank him."

_Maybe someday I'll see him again._

"Hopefully. Do you wanna go back to the ship now? Everyone wants to see you."

_I wanna go home. You are home, _Luffy said softly, nuzzling Ace again. The young man grinned and nodded, standing up and leading Luffy back to the deck, where he saw all of the commanders and captain standing on the shore. Luffy looked at all of their happy faces, all wearing a smile, even Marco. Thatch had tears in his eyes, Izo handing him a handkerchief.

"Luffy! We missed you!" Thatch cried. Luffy gave a small smile, nodding in response. Ace walked forwards and turned to Shanks, going up to him and hugging him, something he usually wouldn't do with anyone besides Luffy or one of his closer friends on the ship.

"Thank you, _so much _Shanks," Ace said, getting the hug returned.

"Anytime, Ace. Luffy, stay safe, okay?" Shanks asked, turning to the dragon, who nodded back. "But, don't let the unknown terrify you." Luffy smiled and bowed his head in thanks, walking against with Ace to the plank to come off the ship and back to home. What was Ace's home was Luffy's home.

Ace knew that the commanders were bothered by the sight of Luffy's missing wings and the harsh, thick scars in their stead, but didn't react to it outwardly so Luffy could tell. He was glad of this, knowing that the wings was a sore subject for his baby brother.

It was a welcome back party and a celebration of Luffy being alive that night. Luffy and Ace both didn't drink any alcohol, Luffy hating it and Ace not wanting to get shit faced again and embarrass himself in front of Luffy. He didn't want to be a giggling mess when he was supposed to be focusing on Luffy and his comfort.

Luffy was finally in a position where he could knead Ace, which calmed him down drastically and he was visibly relaxed by doing so.

_Luffy, I told Whitebeard my secrets. He didn't judge, so I think I'm gonna tell the rest of the commanders now that you're here again, _Ace said as he listened to the deep purring from the body on top of him.

_Okay, _Luffy replied sleepily. Luffy then drifted off to sleep, more relaxed and peaceful than he had been in five months. While he was asleep, Ace told his crew about Luffy's time with Katakuri, which shocked everyone but Whitebeard.

Yes, Dogtooth was brutal to enemies, but he was also extremely loyal to his family and professional with his work. Luffy was not an enemy, so he wasn't surprised that Dogtooth would have been kind to him. He was, however, surprised with the fact that the man hadn't brought the rare creature back to his mother, who was known to collect rare creatures. But, they were all thankful for the big man's kindness.

When many of the pirates and commanders were passed out, Ace turned to Whitebeard. "I said I would tell everybody once Luffy got back. I have him back," the older teen said. Those who were still awake of the commanders looked at him in shock. None of them had actually expected Ace to tell them, and they didn't know he had already spilled the beans to the captain.

"Alright. We'll have this conversation when your new brothers are awake and not hung over," Whitebeard replied, though it got a frown from Ace. "What is it?" he asked in concern.

"Please don't call everyone my brothers. Not yet. Luffy just needs to be my only brother right now. Things… they got bad while Luffy was _away_. And his missing wings have affected his low-self esteem, too, it seems," Ace explained vaguely. But whitebeard agreed, and told Ace he wouldn't address him as son or call the crew his brothers for the time being, which Ace was grateful for.

Ace hadn't wanted to wake Luffy up, but he wanted to go to bed, and being sandwiched between his brother's heavy body and the hard deck was not a comfortable place to sleep. He really wished he could pick Luffy up and just carry him to bed, but those days were long over.

"Lu?" Ace asked, gently shaking his brother. "Luffy, let's go to our room," he said, waking the dragon up, who yawned, eyes wide open before realizing he was finally home. He purred happily, even as they both walked to Ace's new room, which was now Luffy's as well. There sure was enough room for both of them.

Someone had already dragged in the large mattress for Luffy, and when Luffy laid down on it, Ace curled up next to Luffy. He remembered when baby Luffy would sleep at his side, so tiny. Now, Ace was the smaller one who took up less of the mattress. His brother was home. Finally.

Luffy woke up with a whimper, dreaming of being eaten alive by the sea king. But Ace was there immediately, shushing Luffy's whines and whispering kind words. "You're home, and safe. We'll never let anyone or anything hurt you again," Ace reassured. Luffy fell asleep quickly after that, and didn't wake up again.

-x-

Being back on this ship was weird for Luffy. It had been so long. He's only been on the ship about a month, while Ace had been for over five. He felt a bit out of the loop. Well, a lot out of the loop, but people didn't stare at him anymore, even if they often glanced to his ugly scars. Though he couldn't blame them. They stood out quite a lot against his black skin.

But, people were genuinely happy to see him, and that he was okay. Some told him how much Ace had missed him, but it just made Luffy feel guilty. At the same time, though, he was glad he had never been forgotten by his brother, even if he never wished him to be depressed.

The crew were all hung over besides a few, so Ace and Luffy had all the food they wanted in front of them. Thatch had done his best not to get too intoxicated so he could cook a perfect breakfast for their returning member.

It was the usual food, only there were fat, chocolate chip pancakes, delicious fresh bread, special drinks and anything Luffy had even liked to eat. Thatch had been grinning as Luffy ate everything made for him with tears in his eyes.

_Tell Thatch thank you so much, _Luffy said as he laid on his side near the table, stuffed and very satisfied. Ace grinned and passed the message along.

"I don't know how long it's been since you've had large meals three times a day, but that is most definitely what you will get here. Promise. I hope that Katakuri kept you well fed." He nodded in gladness when Ace told him that the man had been feeding Luffy, just not his favorites as he had no way to communicate with him, and he had been "feral" and hadn't known how to express his favorites even in body language.

"I wish I could thank him," Ace said sadly, a nod coming from a very content Luffy below him. "I'm assuming you don't have his number, so maybe someday we'll come across him and get to thank him. Luffy can finally say something." Luffy nodded again, and then scooched closer to rest his head on Ace's boot, purring happily, drifting to blissful, relaxing sleep.

Thatch smiled down at him, tears in his eyes. Ace was in the same state, biting his lip to try and anchor himself. He would let Luffy sleep, not glomp him and wake him up to cuddle, though he probably wouldn't mind that. He looked down, happy until his eyes slid to the missing wings. Poor Lu.

But, maybe they would grow back. There was no telling for a creature such a mystery as Luffy.

"So, you're going to tell all of the commanders today?" Thatch asked curiously. Ace nodded, informing the chef that he had already told the captain. Thatch looked surprised. There had been no indication that Whitebeard had learned anything new or game changing from Ace, like he seemed to think there would be.

Maybe Ace and them had been playing it up too big. Maybe it was just something small. Well, he'd know soon enough, and couldn't help but look forward to finally having the mystery solved. Ace didn't even look nervous about it anymore, which Thatch was sure was a good sign.

It was late in the afternoon when the meeting of the commanders, captain, and Luffy was held, after everyone had had some time to fight off the hangovers. They were clearly used to them as they didn't cripple them all day. Ace sure was lucky, even if he wanted to drink, the hangovers wouldn't affect him.

The table was quiet as Ace collected himself, finally feeling nervous. "Take your time," Whitebeard said patiently, knowing this would be hard for Ace to say. Much easier with Whitebeard; it was one person, someone who would clearly not care. But, some of the commanders he was not close to, such as Kingdew, who was probably Ace's least favorite, might make him more hesitant to tell everyone. But he couldn't bring himself to just exclude some of his fellow commanders. He didn't want them to hate him. At least not for something that was in his control.

Luffy was sitting next to Ace's chair, his head level with Ace's while sitting down. Luffy nudged his arm lovingly. _You trust them, right?_

"Yeah…" Ace replied, and this was what was able to get him talking. He took a deep breath. "Me and Luffy are blood brothers. Our father was a human, who fell in love with a woman who could turn into a dragon. She died giving birth to me and Luffy. Luffy In her dragon form and me in her human. I'm not a full human, and I don't have a devil fruit.

"My powers came to me when Luffy hatched when I was six. When I read my mid twenties, I'll stop aging. I'll live centuries at least. Luffy will live thousands of years, at least. I can hold my breath for eleven minutes under water, so there's no need to worry about me drowning.

"I have no heartbeat, because I'm completely made of fire. I have no blood able to be drawn. Nothing can kill me, but I had been affected by drugs and alcohol, but now I can burn them from my system.

"Our dad is also Gol D. Roger. We took our mother's name if anyone ever asks. Portgas D. Ace is my full name, though I never use it. That's really all," Ace finished strongly. Many of the commanders looked shocked, while many also gave him supporting looks, like nothing he said bothered them.

"So… you're both immortal?" Thatch asked in awe.

"So far," Ace replied.

"...So cool!" the cook cheered. "You're gonna stay young forever? Wow! I'm so jealous, honestly."

"I'm mostly surprised by the fact that your dad is Gold Roger. I assumed you were part dragon, as you're blood related to one," Marco commented smoothly. A few commanders nodded in agreement.

"You're not mad at us? At me, for lying?" Ace asked quietly.

"Nah, we're not mad. It's important information. I wouldn't have told anyone those things if I had just met them. I'm sure everyone agrees," Vista replied, getting nods from all of the others. "I'm just glad we don't need to worry about you drowning."

Ace smiled smally. "Thank you, everyone," the teen said sincerely. Luffy was beaming, and rubbed his head on Ace's shoulder.

_They are nice people, _Luffy said cheerfully. Ace just nodded in agreement. Whitebeard then spoke, changing the subject.

"I need to tell Luffy something. Ace is now a commander, and I'm sure Ace has told you that you have that position as well. You can attend meetings, and of course still sit at our table. We'll take into consideration to your wishes and opinions, if you'd like. You were just reunited with your family after over five months of being missing. No one will force you away from him. Not now, not ever," the captain explained. "I've adopted Ace as a son, and I'd like to do the same to you."

Luffy's big eyes were wide in surprise. If he could have, he probably would have blushed. _I don't think I'm right for being someone important to the ship. I never really wanted to be a pirate captain, I just wanted to be with you and Sabo, _Luffy confessed to the only person who could hear him.

"It also just means we will spend all the time together, even if I have other responsibilities," Ace added, rubbing his hand down Luffy's cheek and jaw. Luffy nodded, understanding. "Even if you don't feel ready for such a role, it's always open for you."

_Okay._

"Luffy, I have a question," Izo suddenly said, and continued when Luffy nodded. "What happened to Teach?" Luffy's face grew dark and angry.

_He's dead. I escaped his darkness and destroyed his ship. I spiked him and the other two. He drowned, and sea kings came for him and the other two he was sailing with. He's dead. _Ace translated this for him, and it got cruel smiles on everyone's faces, glad he had suffered.

"On behalf of all of us, we are extremely sorry and regretful we couldn't stop him before he took you," Whitebeard said sincerely.

"He knows. He forgave everyone much easier than I did," Ace replied for his brother. The others smiled in relief.

-x-

Luffy was honestly treated like royalty. It was strange having everyone happy to see him, and no one saying anything mean. Maybe some things had changed while he was away. Whatever it was, he liked it. He was left alone to nap in the sun. No one tried to touch him and he didn't feel stares from anyone.

He hadn't been able to sleep in the sun in a long time. Even when he was with Katakuri, and safe, he wasn't himself, and never napped just to feel better. He only napped when he was tired. He had been craving candy and mochi, which Ace and Thatch thought was silly and made no sense until he told them of Katakuri's devil fruit.

Ace grew horrified, thinking that Luffy had just been eating Katakuri, not that he could produce the candy, even if he still thought it was gross to eat something like that. But Thatch had just laughed it off, telling him he'd try to find out how to cook the sweet.

It was four days after settling back into the routine, which had gone smoothly and his transition back to this life had been quicker than anyone thought it would be, when a new wanted poster came in the mail.

Of course, there were sightings of Luffy, and someone had taken a new photo. But this time, it was in favor for the dragon. It was a photo of his whole body, wings missing and everything, but he was standing near Ace, who had his back to the camera, but the Whitebeard tattoo was clearly visible. Now, everyone knew he was under the care of the Yonko. Maybe Doflamingo and his men would leave him alone.

He hadn't seen the man in a long time, and didn't understand when something had happened on Katakuri's ship, as he had no memory. A crew on a large ship had approached the ship, and threatened Katakuri to give over the dragon.

Thinking back about it, the sail of the ship had been the mark of Doflamingo. The face of his pirate mark. Katakuri had ushered Luffy inside, but he'd been discovered. The fight lasted a very short time, with Katakuri defeating all of them single handedly. He hadn't noticed the black flag that had some other sign on it, but the ship was clearly related to Doflamingo.

There hadn't been another ship like that to come after Luffy. So, the warlord still clearly needed the dragon, stuck in that ice. Luffy almost felt pity for him, but wouldn't just go and free him. No, the man would no doubt be furious with him and want to take revenge for the months of being trapped in ice.

And Luffy couldn't melt the ice from a distance. The only way would be to get close to him, and even if he wanted to, Ace wouldn't ever let him. The rest of the crew would probably be against it, too. Well, that's what the man got for trying to trap Luffy and keep him as some sort of slave, or pet.

Luffy was sad he'd never see the minks again. He had no way to contact them, and the dragon could no longer fly away and search for the gigantic elephant. He hoped they were alright, and hadn't been tracked down.

"Well, Luffy has a new bounty, but it's a good one. Now people know who they're messing with," Ace said at the breakfast table, not at all mad about the bounty, even if it showed him as well. "It's a much better picture than your last one," he commented and pat Luffy on the head. When it was Ace who did it, it wasn't offensive. If _anyone else _did it, Luffy would feel it had been demeaning.

"You're back is in it, too," Izo commented after sipping his tea. "I guess that tattoo is lucky, though, isn't it?" The others all nodded in agreement. "So, Luffy. What happened with Doflamingo. I heard in the paper his kingdom had revolted, and is now under a new ruler. Do you have anything to do with that?"

Luffy shrugged. Ace translated for him. _Probably. I trapped him and some of his men in a bird cage with my ice, and his feet and arms were bound in the ice. I'm not going back to melt them, even if I do feel pity for him. But, he tried to attack and trap me, he got what was coming to him._

Ace then said the next part quieter so no one but those at the table could hear. _I'm surprised no one has looked at that ice and made the connection to the Massacre._

"Yeah, you'd think so. The Government has been picking up the pieces slowly while you were gone. They decided to not rebuild Mary Geious. At least not anytime soon, that is," Izo explained. "They're focusing more on trying to find new leaders, though it's taking some time, and the Red Line is still being trafficked. Fishman island has lost a lot of resources and money due to the fact that visitors aren't coming anymore.

"You won't be crossing any time soon, even if you choose to leave this ship." He paused then, wondering whether he should ask something. Luffy cocked his head, asking what he wanted to say. "Can I ask… what happened when Ace was sure you had died? And y-you're wings?" everyone at the table grew silent, having all had those questions as well, since they had never gotten answers from Ace on the subject.

_I got caught by a sea king. Tried to eat me and ripped off one of my wings. After that, I remember I was talking to Ace, saying goodbye because I was going to starve or get eaten or taken by pirates. Then, I just turned… feral. I didn't remember anything about myself or my life, and stopped responding._

_Then, Katakuri came across me and had both of my wings amputated so I could walk again. He helped me heal enough that I could function on my own. Then, he didn't want to put me in danger by taking me with him, so he dropped me off at Shanks's island. Then Shanks found me and brought me back to you._

Ace had translated the whole thing, feeling down at remembering the pain of thinking, feeling, that his last brother had died. The table's mood turned somber. "Maybe someday they'll grow back," Haruta offered kindly.

_Hope so._

"I love you, Luffy. I couldn't be happier that you're back and alive," Ace said in a fond voice, overflowing with so much love it touched those at the table, and made Luffy's big eyes a bit shiny. Luffy just nodded before sitting on his hind legs and hugging Ace tightly.

_Love you, too. We'll never be apart, ever again._

"Damn right, we won't."

**-Two years later-**

As second division member of the Whitebeard pirates, Ace eventually got a wanted poster and bounty, higher than Luffy's was by 100,000,000 berris. This was his official poster as the government had given up on finding the culprits of the _terrorist attack, _so that large bounty with a blank face and name plate was revoked. Ace's pirate name was "Fire-fist Ace". He was very pleased with it.

Luffy had grown a bit bigger, but seemed to have stopped, as Ace wasn't growing anymore either, even though he was still supposed to be aging. But, Garp and told him anything could happen. He wasn't that sad about looking twenty one his whole life, so he put that thought behind him.

The entire crew had come to know about Ace and Luffy's family situation, and no one had turned them in or looked at either of them in any other way, though if Ace hadn't been at least part human, things might have been a bit different.

Over the time, Luffy's wings' bones had started to grow a bit more, but it was messy. The bones were shown growing, but the skin was taking longer, and it hurt every now and then. But, he had thousands of years, so he'd be patient with their growth, even if he had started to miss flying again.

Luffy had been able to get a tattoo on his chest, a white one of the jolly roger, though it was much smaller than Ace's but still visible if he wished it to be. Pirates had still been after him, but had zero chance to succeed, and Doflamingo had been taken to prison for some of the things he had done to his country that had been unraveled.

The crew joked about the fact that the only way they could have gotten him out was to dig up the ground under his feet to get into the cage and separate the ex-warlord's feet from the ground, as he was still eternally trapped in ice. The brothers were staying on the crew indefinitely, as it was their home now, though they did go off the ship on some islands, wanted or not.

Izo had been merciless with teasing Ace about the girls that tried to flirt with him on the islands. He wasn't interested, and was actually quite rude with his rejections. He just wasn't a people person, and had only really grown to love and cherish his crew due to the shared struggles he had with them for all those months.

Life was good again. The brothers were both happy with where they were, and sure Sabo wouldn't be disappointed in them for not becoming pirates of their own. He would want them both to be happy. And, plus, they were both sure Sabo would have enjoyed the ship and crew as well. Especially Marco, who they could have nerded out with about books.

Life was good. No matter that they would outlive everyone on their crew, there was nothing they could do about it, and had come to peace with that. They would just enjoy the time they had with them.

-x-

Luffy was napping on the deck one day when he smelled something very sweet and memorable. Some sort of candy. It woke him up, and he looked around in confusion, wondering where the smell had come from and where he recognized it from. Then he turned his head and saw a very familiar ship, passing them, but not too close.

He recognized the large figure on the deck, and didn't wait to roar loudly and jump off the ship, freezing the water as he ran across the surface and to the familiar ship. Ace came running out, freaking out about Luffy and how he was running away from the ship, onto the water of the sea.

He then saw the ship Luffy was heading for, recognizing the jolly roger and the big man he'd barely glimpsed before. He ran to the side of the ship and jumped off, following Luffy on his icy trail, grinning, but also a bit nervous. After all, this man had over a billion berri bounty.

Luffy leapt onto the ship, scaring and shocking everyone on board by the loud beast that had landed with a heavy thump. He tackled into Katakuri and rubbed his face on the larger man's, who looked shocked but then smiled behind his scarf. He hadn't seen his dragon friend in a long time.

When Ace landed on the ship, grinning, multiple weapons were pointed at him. Luffy saw this and darted over to his brother, shielding him to show the people on the ship that Ace was with him.

Ace confidently strode to the much larger man and beamed at him. "Thank you so much for taking care of Luffy when he needed it," the twenty one year old said with a bow.

"Luffy, huh? Well, you're very welcome. It was my pleasure," Katakuri said politely, though his smile was hidden from them, they could hear it in his voice. "I was surprised to learn he had joined the Whitebeard's ship."

"Yeah. It's a very long story, but Luffy is my little brother. We got separated for a long time, and I thought he was dead but you saved him. We can't thank you enough. The island you left him at was run by Shanks, a friend of ours who reunited us. We will be eternally grateful for your kindness," Ace explained.

_Mochi, mochi?! _Luffy asked, bouncing on his toes. Ace chuckled.

"Luffy would like some mochi," he said with a grin aimed at Katakuri. A giant stack of mochi was formed from Katakuri's hands, and Luffy immediately dug in, purring from the familiar and delicious taste.

Katakuri hadn't seen this aspect of Luffy. When he had been with him on this ship, Luffy had often been cranky and cold towards others, though seemed happy when it was just him and the captain.

By now, the anchor had been dropped on both ships, sails furled. The brothers could hear their crew mates shouting at them, asking what the hell they were doing, but too scared of the Big Mom pirate to come and see what was going on. Well, most of them. Marco was brave enough to fly over to the ship his youngest brothers were on.

"May I land?" he asked as he hovered near the railing. Katakuri's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded and gave permission. "So, this is where Luffy ran off to. Not surprised. I'm sure Ace has already, but everyone on our crew are thankful for you helping Luffy when we weren't with him."

"You're welcome," Katakuri said simply, the warmth in his voice gone as he spoke with the enemy pirate, though they weren't at the moment.

Luffy stayed on the ship with him, Ace translating, as the dragon rambled "thank you"s and random stories he had never been able to tell the man he was fond of. Katakuri listened patiently, enjoying meeting Luffy again.

Personally, he had wished to bring the dragon home with him, as he had taken a liking to him, but he wouldn't put him in harm's way with his mother. At least he knew he was happy, though. It made his day, well, most likely his week.

When the brothers returned to the ship for dinner, they were both the happiest they'd been in a long time, glad they were able to thank Luffy's savior. Ace hugged Luffy tightly, beaming as they headed inside to eat their delicious dinner.


End file.
